According to studies, only 15.4 percent of Germans have expressed their wishes regarding organ donation in writing and 17.5 percent verbally, with more than 63 percent of relatives having to decide according to their presumed or personal wishes. "All too often, organ donations fail due to a lack of consent. This applies in particular to cases in which relatives have to make a decision without knowing the wishes of their deceased loved one," says District Administrator Allgaier. Head of Health Dr. Karlin Stark adds: "Many topics need to be discussed, such as the opt-out solution, anonymous living donations, cross-over donations or the improved organization of organ donation. This is the only way that Germany can improve its position at the bottom of the organ donation rankings in Europe and no longer remain an organ importing country for Eurotransplant," says the Head of Health.
"Relatives are under an enormous burden when they have to make a decision in an emergency situation," continued the District Administrator. "This makes it all the more sensible to think about what should happen to your own organs at an early stage."
Every day, three people in Germany die because they do not receive an organ in time. In Germany, almost 8,300 people are currently waiting for a transplant, with almost 1,000 patients in Baden-Württemberg alone. On average, they wait nine years for a kidney, and not everyone survives this time despite dialysis.
