All Greek citizens will be considered forced organ givers and not donors in five months from now.
According to a law passed and voted for in 2011, in the 1st Memorandum when Papandreou was prime minister, the removal of organs can be done by hospitals, private clinics or companies and not by the National Transplant Organization, as it was done until now, and without the consent of the patient's family or the prior written request of the same person .
This law has led to the resignation of the NTO Bureau and the discontent of the ICU doctors because they believe that our country will become organs and human tissue caterer for the planet, while the human body is converted into an object in the concept of Property Law, because a physical or legal person is now entitled to its ownership .
The transplant coordinator for Central Greece and ICU consultant George Kyriazopoulos discussed this for Star Channel.
A law of which few heard about and which will create unrest in Greece will be enacted upon from June 2013, it converts Greek citizens and everyone living in the country to forced organ givers and not donors as it used to be.
This law was voted for in June 16, 2011 without nominal voting, when the Parliament was under siege from a crowd of Greek citizens protesting for the complete impoverishment the Memorandum was leading them to, while the whole country was preoccupied by it and G. Papandreou.
The then ministers allowed the members of NTO to be present only in the consultation, without taking under consideration their suggestions on the matter.
"Someone else took the decision for this important and delicate issue and we wonder, who is it ?" declares the transplant coordinator for Central Greece and ICU consultant in Lamia, George Kyriazopoulos.
During that period, in the summer of 2011, the government accepted the resignation of the NTO administration and assigned a new overnight.
<<The specific clause of this law tells us that all Greek citizens are organ givers, except if they declare in paper that they do not want to be. The exact opposite of what was applied until now. Now, this law, the purpose of its creation I could never understand, and especially during a time when the 1st Memorandum was under voting and there was a great upheaval in Greek society, I never understood why this law was passed.
No institution commission was informed of this law at the time, like the NTO or the ICU Fellowship or the Medical Association, except later when it was already under consultation.
No expert sat down with the Minister to create this law, instead it is a copy from the Spanish law, because this is valid in Spain years now, but even there organs are never taken without the consent of the family.
As coordinators of transplants and ICU we disagree with this law, as did the previous administration of NTO which resigned when this law was passed 2 years ago.>>
What changes according to the new law ?
The donor range for living transplants is broadened, as for example kidney transplant.
Persons outside the family of the patient will be able to give their organs. Doctors fear that this will lead to organs commercialization.
Secondly, the assumed consent. Namely the removal of one or more organs from an adult, deceased person takes place since he hadn't voiced his opposition when he was alive. So, it takes place on the basis of his assumed acquiescence.
There will not be relatives' consent anymore but someone else, coming from the new organizations that will be created will decide for the patient.
In this way, as Mr Kyriazopoulos also declares, the human body becomes an object, since a physical or legal person is entitled to its ownership.
<< We disagree on three key points.
One point is the assumed consent, there is no reason for us all to be apriori organ givers, this way the concept of donation is abolished. Every human being has the right to assign his body as he pleases. No lawmaker can tell him that you will assign your body this way apriori, and if you don't want that then declare it in writting with a solicitor. This is irrational.
So, we believe that this clause will damage transplants and organ donations, it will eventually diminish the donors number.
The other issue has to do with living transplants, namely people that give one kidney to someone else. Here is another dark spot in this law, while the previous law allowed us to give one of our kidneys to a close relative, untill second degree relative as I recall, now this law allowes untill 4th degree relatives or even an emotional relationship. For example, I donate my kidney to you because I love you without anything else.
This has too many windows through which to create precisely what I said before, the organ commerce.
An emotional relationship cannot be substantiated. What court can substantiate what relationship I have with you? >>
Third dangerous spot of the law - Even private companies from abroad can take part in this, converting Greece into an organ and human tissue caterer for the whole planet.
<<It allows even private companies to remove, as it states instead of "taking" - the "removal" of organs. Well, this shouldn't be, the previous law allowed only the official transplants centers to remove organs and place them in the transplant patients. Of course a foreign company may come and utize the 1 million illegal immigrants we have in Greece. Utilize them by taking one of their kidneys and paying them for it and all those poor immigrants that have nothing in the world will suddenly have an emotional relationship with a european citizen to whome they will give their kidney. So such windows are opened, and because we are a very distrustful people, and the time we are in is dodgy, I think this law has to be revised at least partly, or not to be enacted at all.>>
The citizens have heard nothing about the issue, as they said they do not agree under any circumstances with this law, and could only look at it with suspicion.
