Armenia to define person’s right to refuse organ donation after death

It is necessary to define in Armenia the right of a person to refuse organ donation after death. Deputy Minister of Health Armen Gasparyan said this in the National Assembly on Tuesday during the second—and final—reading of the bill on amendments and additions to the Law on Transplantation of Human Organs and (or) Tissues.

According to the deputy minister of health, the concept of "biological death" needs to be legalized in Armenia. A legal basis will be created for the approval of the list of human organs that will be taken for future transplantation. The process can be started only after the brain or biological death of a person has been recorded by the authorized body.

Thus, in addition to the list of organs defined by the law, which are subject to transplantation from a living donor, the list of organs of the deceased will also be defined.

The rights of the living donor, who gave his consent for the transplant, were also revised in the aforesaid bill. Also, it was established that after removing the organ or tissue, the living donor has the right to be under constant medical supervision in the procedure set by the authorized body.

"As a result of the adoption of this legislative initiative, the right of a person not to agree to become a donor after death, as well as the right of family members to give consent to the donation of organs of a deceased relative, will be clearly defined," Gasparyan noted.

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