Joe Ryan from Newcastle, who recently donated his kidney to
his brother saving the community some $70,000 a year dialysis cost,
said the Gift of Life had left him $6,000 out of pocket.
Mr. Ryan said he was speaking out over the matter in the lead up
to World Kidney Day to bring the issue to the notice of politicians
and health bureaucrats who have seemed to park the issue in a no
action zone.
Self employed Joe had to make several trips to
Sydney and pay for accommodation to stay overnight to be prepared
for the transplant operation.
This was followed by a month off work to recover after the
operation.
"As a self employed person by donating my kidney meant I had no
income for about five weeks as bills kept rolling in which made
things financially difficult."
Mr. Ryan said that apart from the obvious lack of some basic
financial support for live donors, the system of reimbursement for
costs such as petrol at 30 cents a litre included a mile of red tape
where the donor had to chase the surgeon's or their assistant's
signature to be reimbursed. The overnight allowance to find
somewhere to stay is just $35.00.
"In Australia where we have around 1300 people on a waiting
list for a kidney transplant and everyone is saying there is a lack
of donors, they don't seem to be trying to encourage and assist
people who are willing to donate kidney."
Anne Wilson CEO of Kidney Health Australia said the former
Federal Government and health bureaucracies rejected the concept put
forward by Kidney Health Australia that live donors received a basic
CentreLink payment for the time they were off work whilst recovering
from the transplant operation.
"This is not a big budget ticket item, but a cost saving
program."
Ms Wilson said, "with the health budget for dialysis blowing
out at $1 million a week as six people a day enter dialysis at a
cost of $70,000 each annually, the option of a small payment of
around $6,000 for a live kidney donor to assist them and their
family pay the bills is both reasonable and sensible.
"We have been encouraged that the Federal Government is
looking to introduce a far more coordinated approach to organ
donation and hope this small expense payment will be included as an
option which donors who need financial support can access.
"At present there are some 1300 people waiting for a kidney
transplant in Australia and the average waiting time is four to five
years," Ms Wilson said.
Media Enquiries:
Anne Wilson, CEO Kidney Health Australia
Mobile: 0400 165 391
Ron Smith Media Communications Kidney Health
Australia Mobile: 0417 329 201 to arrange an interview with Joe
Ryan.
