A man from Manitou Beach has launched a petition asking the Saskatchewan government to use presumed consent for organ donation.
Michael Gaudet receives dialysis three times a week, four hours a day. His kidney failed over three years ago, 34 years after his brother donated it to him.
Gaudet’s petition, launched in November, asks the province to embrace presumed consent for organ donation, unless the would-be donor opts out. Currently, people must opt in, often during a driver’s licence application or renewal.
“It’s kind of like a lottery that you don’t get to buy a ticket for,” Gaudet said, in reference to his position on the Saskatchewan Transplant Program waitlist.
Saskatchewan’s donation rate is lower than the rest of Canada, including organs from living and deceased donors, according to Erin Schimpf, provincial program manager with the transplant program.
“We’ve been increasing steadily over the past three, four years and we anticipate we will continue to do that and we will fight to ever increase those numbers,” said Schimpf.
At a given time, about 70 people in the province are estimated to be waiting for a kidney, according to the Saskatchewan Health Authority. The average wait time to receive a kidney is estimated at 2.8 years, during which time the average patient receives 437 dialysis treatments.
Outgoing premier Brad Wall signalled his support for presumed consent last year. The topic was also included in October’s throne speech.
“I think it would be pretty painless for our Saskatchewan government to show some leadership in this area,” Gaudet said.
