Eldad: Donors must be encouraged
צילום: גיל יוחנן
Organ donors now exempt from national health insurance pay
Knesset passes bill proposed by MK Arieh Eldad in bid to enlarge database of living organ donors
A bill proposed by MK Arieh Eldad (National Union) exempting organ donors from national health insurance for a certain period of time was passed by the Knesset Monday.
The bill amends a 2008 law about organ transplants, which regulates organ donations from dead and living donors.
The Knesset's Labor, Welfare, and Health Committee convened over the bill recently, and clarified that the Finance Ministry had no objections to the bill. Last year Eldad opposed a bill backed by the Treasury on benefits for organ donors, claiming it was "sterilized". The new bill he has proposed aims to redeem this lack.
"The database of living organ donors is very limited," Eldad said. "In order to encourage these donations we must assist the donor in any way possible."
He added, "A man who donated from his own body for the benefit of another patient's wellbeing should be properly recognized by the State of Israel and receive exemption from national health insurance payments."
Eldad also specified that "this bill has no affiliation with the issue of organ trafficking."
Around 900 Israelis are currently awaiting organ transplants. Among the organs needed are 600 kidneys, 120 hearts, 120 livers, and 60 pairs of lungs.
In 2009 there were 220 transplants of organs taken from dead donors and 60 from live ones. Despite an increase in people who have signed a donor card, there are still only about a half a million donors in Israel.
