日器官捐贈新例

Recently NHK reported the following:

ことし７月に施行される改正臓器移植法では、患者本人が臓器の提供を拒否する意思を示していない場合、家族の承諾で脳死からの臓器提供ができるようになりますが、厚生労働省の作業部会は１８日、拒否の意思表示を確認する方法について、移植コーディネーターが家族への聞き取りや意思表示カードで確認すれば十分だとする方針を決めました。
ことし７月に施行される改正臓器移植法では、臓器の提供を拒否する意思を示していない場合、家族の承諾で脳死からの臓器の提供が行えるようになるため、厚生労働省の作業部会では、本人が拒否していないことをどのように確認すればよいか議論を進めてきました。その結果、本人が書き残した文書などをすべて調べることは不可能だとして、家族への聞き取りのほか、意思表示カードと日本臓器移植ネットワークのホームページへの登録で、拒否の意思が示されていないかどうかを、移植コーディネーターが確認すれば十分だとする方針を決めました。改正臓器移植法では、１５歳未満の子どもからも脳死からの臓器の提供ができるようになりますが、幼い子どもでも拒否の意思を示していれば、有効と認めるとしています。また、本人が拒否していない場合に、臓器の提供を承諾する家族の範囲については、原則として、夫婦、親子、祖父母と孫、それに同居する親族とする方針も決めました。

Based on the Revised Organ Transplant Law to be enforced in July this year, if the intention of the patient himself to refuse to offer the internal organs was not indicated, organ donations after the brain death could proceed with the approval of the patient's family. On the 18th the Working Group of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, regarding the method of confirming the refusal, decided that it would be adequate if the transplant coordinator could confirm the understanding of the family and the details in the wish expression card.
Regarding the Revised Organ Transplant Law to be enforced in July this year, the Working Group of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare had been carrying out discussions on ways to handle offering of internal organs due to the brain death based on the family's approval, and on ways to confirm that there was no intention to refuse to offer internal organs. As a result, knowing that it was impossible to examine all documents left by a person in question, it was decided that as a policy it would be enough for the transplant coordinator to confirm whether an intention to refuse was shown in the donor registration card, and in the homepage of Japan Organ Transplant Network, besides confirming the understandings of the family. In the Revised Organ Transplant Law, 15-year-old child could offer internal organs due to brain death, but the young child's intention of refusal would be effective if such an intention had been shown. It was decided that if the person in question had not shown intention to refuse, the range of the family who could approve the offer of internal organs would be, as a rule, the married couple, the parent and child, the grandparent and grand son, and the cohabiting relative.

Its seems that the new laws on organs donation will permit more donations to take place.