The Kidney Foundation of Canada wants to ensure every organ donor is identified so that every person waiting for a transplant has equal access no matter where they live in the country.
Atlantic executive director Trina Ralph says her organization is working with the federal government and Canadian Blood Services to create a national organ donation and transplant registry.
“This could include things like implementation and monitoring of best practices, public and professional education and the development and coordination of an inter-provincial organ sharing and data monitoring system,” notes Ralph.
In the recent federal budget, the Trudeau government proposed to invest in a national registry over the next five years.
Right now, each province has its own registry for organ donations and transplants.
The federal government says approximately 3,000 organs were donated in 2017, yet 4,500 individuals remained on waiting lists.
Many individuals wait for more than a year before an organ becomes available, and every year, approximately 250 individuals die while waiting.
Disparities across the country in both access to organ donations and quality of care are resulting in missed opportunities for transplantation.
