Chief Executive Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Opoku Ware-Ampomah has intimated that it is about time Parliament of Ghana takes steps to enact a legislation to regulate organ donation in the country.
According to the Medical Expert, the country has the knowhow and capacity to enact the law as a key step in preventing lives from being lost in certain circumstances.
In 2006/2007, a group of advocates and health professionals came together to push for such legislation but unfortunately , their wishes did not see the light of day.
In a media engagement, Dr Opoku Ware believes it is a good time for the discussions on the subject matter to be resuscitated and the noble House takes steps to get a bill passed to facilitate effective healthcare delivery in the sector.
” I believe that the conversation regarding organ donation in the country must be revived and urgent steps taken by advocates and health professionals to appeal to Parliament to make sustained efforts to work on the draft legislation.
In previous times , we might not have had the needed expertise in the area but once advanced technologies are now available to improve healthcare and treatment of patients , it will only be right that the relevant agencies collaborate to give force to the legislation which must be passed to ensure holistic healthcare and avoidable loss of lives”.
Dr Opoku Ware-Ampomah stated that a committee has been formed to push and lobby for the law to be passed and currently active stakeholder consultation is ongoing to the required support.
” We on our part as medical practitioners have taken steps in tandem with other stakeholders to form a working committee to jaw jaw on the relevant details and information needed to help enrich the lawmaking process of Parliament so we get a speedy resolution to this long awaited need to regulate organ donation in the health sector of the country.
At the moment, an Ethics committee is in place that looks into the nitty gritty of the draft document to tie all loose ends before it goes through standard law making procedure in Parliament”
