Sask. launches registry for organ and tissue donors

The Saskatchewan government has launched an online registry for organ and tissue donors.

Located at givelifesask.ca, the registryis open to Saskatchewan residents aged 16 and older who want to make a formal declaration of their wishes to be a donor.

Created with $560,000 in funding announced early last year, the registry does not change the fact that families can go against a person's wishes.

Family members can still override a person's request to be an organ or tissue donor, as they could under the previous system where people who want to be donors put a sticker on their health card.

Health Minister Jim Reiter has previously said that registries have better success rates when it comes to dealing with families.

"I encourage all Saskatchewan residents to join me in registering their intent to donate and potentially one day save lives," said Reiter on Wednesday.

The province said in a news release that one tissue donor can help 75 people and an organ donor can save eight lives.

"Registering as a donor is the only secure and guaranteed way to make your decision known," said the news release from the province.

In 2016, former premier Brad Wall said hewanted to shift to a presumed consent system, where an individual would have to opt out of being an organ donor instead of having to sign up.

In 2017 he said the government would introduce a new system by the end of session, but the government has since stepped back from that commitment.

Health Minister Jim Reiter said in 2018 the province had "hit pause" on presumed consent. It said in2019 that it has not been ruled out.