Organ donation could soon be broadened to another kind of death

Jo Etienne Abela on Monday said Cabinet has approved a new framework for organ transplants, with a public consultation to be launched before Christmas.

The framework is based on what is known as the Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD), which the health minister said could increase the number of transplants by up to 50 per cent.

Addressing parliament on Monday, Abela said the initiative aimed to reduce waiting times for life-saving kidney transplants and represented a significant shift in Malta’s transplant system.

“A few weeks ago, the Cabinet approved the move to work on the DCD model for transplants… so that we may tackle the waiting time for kidney transplants,” he said.

Under the current legal framework, organ donation is only permitted when a patient is certified as brain dead.

The proposed change would allow donations from patients whose hearts have stopped beating.

“This means that while currently the law only allows organ donation from individuals certified as brain dead… when the brain has died… we now want people certified as cardiac dead… or when the heart has stopped… to become organ donors as well.”

Abela described the policy shift as a “pro-life, humanitarian, and revolutionary development” that could increase the number of transplants by up to 50 per cent.

He said the government had worked closely with the Opposition on the matter and praised PN MP Ivan Bartolo for his collaboration.

“This is how mature politics is done for the people, sensible discussion that gets results, not insults and quarrels,” he said.

'Church backs move'

Abela also said the Church had expressed support for the government’s strategy and would collaborate on public awareness efforts.

“It is with great pleasure that I can announce that the Church in Malta and Gozo agree with the Ministry’s strategy in favour of DCD and that we will work together to promote it,” he said, thanking Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Bishop Anton Teuma for their backing.

Opposition MP Ivan Bartolo welcomed the move and emphasised the importance of taking concrete steps to save lives through organ donation.

Describing DCD as “the act of doing something beautiful to help others after you die,” Bartolo recalled the story of Marie Therese Pisani, whose death enabled 10 people to benefit from her donated organs.

“With the option for a transplant, people can start their lives again,” he said.