KOCH: To a breakthrough on something we have been talking about for months. Australia's organ donation rate is woefully low. Even though we have one of the highest donor registration rates in the world, following through is terrible. Just 198 people actually donated their organs last year. That was down from 202 the year before.
But now the Federal Government will spend close to $150 million setting up a national organ donation program. It's a hobby horse of the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, he joins this morning to take us through it.
Good Morning to you.
PM: Good Morning Kochie
KOCH: Now, how will the money be spent?
PM: Well, $150 million, basically it splits down like this. About $67 million for the additional medical staff and nursing staff in hospitals who have this as their exclusive job. Because at present we don't have that dedicated personnel who are responsible for this, which it often just gets pushed to the side.
Secondly, we have about $47 million as well to set up for the first time a national authority to co-ordinate all national efforts for organ donation. Because at present it's split up all over the place.
KOCH: Ok you have all these community groups, mainly focussing on registration. so this authority will keep everyone on the same track, talking to each other.
PM: Well, the Chief Medical Officer, who we've had working on this, and the secretary of the Department of Health, Jane Halton, John Horvath have done a terrific job with all their counterparts around the country, and their advice is if you want this to work, you actually have to have this single authority.
Plus, not just an authority, but plus the money to have the specialist doctors and nurses who's job it is to do this. Because we all know these are very delicate circumstances which arise in hospitals.
But then on top of that $17 million for further infrastructure support within hospitals to make sure that you've got the physical facilities to do this properly. And in addition to that, money to help with counselling as well. Because there are very tricky situations with families.
KOCH: That's right. And as it stands at the moment intensive care doctors are in a conflict of interest, aren't they? Their looking after the patient and then having to go to the families and say ‘hey, can we have your loved ones organs', and the families think, ‘mate, you're meant to be saving my loved one, not asking me for their organs'.
PM: Exactly. And that's why it is so sensitive, it's so delicate. But when you're looking around Australia today and you've got nearly 2,000 people who are waiting now on the list for transplants -
KOCH: and thousands of others who don't even make the list.
PM: Thousands of others that don't even make the list.
This little girl on the front page of the Tele' the other day, Cordelia Whatman, I think her name was - 2 years old. So, I mean, there's she, she's one of those 2,000 on the list, and if we can just make a bit of a difference and hopefully a much bigger difference by throwing this investment into it, and the prospects of littlies like that, hopefully in the future they have a chance.
KOCH: This will improve us to world's best practice, and, theoretically we should be then doing close to 1,000 transplants a year. If it's implemented well. That's the big question. It's got to be implemented -
PM: Understand that, fingers crossed. This new national authority will come into being as of 1 January. It will take a while to set it up and to get all the dedicated staff within the hospitals, etcetera. But, a year following that, we will evaluate to see what has actually happened in terms of the turn around rate.
But when you have 90 per cent of Australians supporting this, that is, organ donation, but such a low rate of actual donation, then frankly it is the responsibility of the National Government to say, ‘can we improve this?'. It's not going to fix problems for everybody, but we can do as a nation a lot better.
So thanks to you Sunrise and the viewers for getting behind this program. But also, ShareLife and the other organisations out there, the Transplant Society and the Cognate Committee on organ and tissue donation. These have all worked together. And with our health professionals. And supported by the Health Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary.
KOCH: Well, I've got say, it's the most rewarding thing I've ever been involved in, so terrific on the follow through. Now, that doesn't mean - today is all about organ donation - doesn't mean we aren't going to not hound you on the solar power, we'll do that another day.
PM: Kochie, why does that not surprise me at all?
KOCH: Ok, let me tell you.
PM: But I tell you what, I'll finish on organ donation. As I keep saying, this doesn't solve everything. But all the groups say this is the best way forward. And we'll evaluate at the 12 month point as to whether we need to do further stuff as well.
KOCH: To make sure it's implemented well.
Thanks for joining us.
PM: Good to be here.