Updating Organ Donation Scheme by Strengthening Legislation and Consolidating Donations under National Registry
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Dr Choo Pei Ling’s inquiry on strengthening legislation for donor decisions and consolidating organ, body, and brain donations into a single national registry. Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that the Human Organ Transplant Act and the Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act provide adequate safeguards to uphold donor wishes. He clarified that there are no plans to consolidate registries as the national Organ Donor Registry portal already facilitates registration for various donation types. He added that while healthcare teams engage with families to address concerns, Brain Bank Singapore manages cases for individuals unable to pledge under existing acts due to medical conditions. Minister Ong Ye Kung concluded that coordination between the National Organ Transplant Unit and Brain Bank Singapore ensures all registered donation decisions are honored upon death.
Transcript
35 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider updating the organ donation scheme by (a) strengthening legislation for the legal protection and enforceability of organ donors' decisions under the Human Organ Transplant Act 1987, the Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act 1972 and for the Brain Bank Singapore; and (b) consolidating organ, body and brain donations under a single national registry.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: There are adequate provisions and safeguards under the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) and the Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (MTERA) to uphold donor's wishes. Healthcare professionals follow established protocols to ensure the donor's wishes are honoured while supporting families of deceased donors during their grief. In situations where the family members of the potential donor raise strong objections to donation, healthcare teams will speak with family members to address their concerns.
The Ministry of Health has no plans to consolidate organ, body and brain donations. Singaporeans and Permanent Residents can already register their organs, body and brain donation decisions through the national Organ Donor Registry portal. Brain donations are also managed separately at Brain Bank Singapore for individuals who cannot pledge under MTERA due to their medical conditions. Despite the separate registries, the National Organ Transplant Unit and BBS have established processes to ensure that donors' registered decisions are honoured upon death.