NSW | 20 Feb 2012
NSW Police Force has today joined NSW Health for the launch of DonateLife Week 2012 in Sydney.
DonateLife Week, which runs from Sunday 19 February 2012 to Sunday 26 February 2012, aims to increase family discussion about organ and tissue donation to highlight increased family consent rates results in more Australians receiving organ and tissue transplants.
Today’s launch (Monday 20 February 2012), included interviews with organ recipients, organ donor families, transplant surgeons, the Chief Health Officer and other stakeholders at the main stage area in Martin Place.
Police attended to discuss Emergency Medical Transfers (EMT), a service that provides urgent transportation of human donor organs to hospitals.
In addition, the NSW Police Band entertained the lunch time crowds.
EMT Operating Procedures Coordinator, Superintendent Karen McCarthy, said the purpose of the day was to inform and entertain.
“The DonateLife message is important, but it’s a topic that may be difficult to talk about, especially with loved ones,” said Supt McCarthy.
“The most important part of DonateLife Week is educating people and generating conversation about the organ donation process.”
In Australia, the family will always be asked to confirm the donation wishes of the deceased before donation or transplantation can proceed. Families that have discussed and know each other’s donation wishes are more likely to uphold those wishes.
“More than 10,000 people walk through Martin Place every day, and if each of them had that difficult conversation, and committed to donate, that could be tens of thousands of lives being saved in the future,” Supt McCarthy said.
To help get people in NSW talking and discussing organ donation, DonateLife Week 2012 will offer a variety of opportunities with a number of community events, social media and other localised activities in throughout the state.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSFERS – VITAL SIGNS:
- It was the late Dr Victor Chang who, in 1984, asked the NSW Police Force to become involved in the transportation of organs. His aim was to cut the time between the donor organ being harvested and transported to the recipient; enabling a greater chance of success.
- Since then, NSW Police Force has been working closely with the NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service, Road Traffic Authority and many hospitals in NSW to ensure the successful co-ordination of Emergency Medical Transfers (EMT).
- Before each transport, NSW Police Force Highway Patrol officers and the doctor in charge will discuss the gravity and seriousness of the situation and determine the police response required. Urgency determinations can be upgraded or downgraded en route.
- The first Emergency Medical Transfer (EMT) was completed by now-retired police officers, Tony McCue and Daryl Irvin, for the late Dr Victor Chang on 28October 1984, and ran from Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport to St Vincent’s Hospital.
- On this initial run NSW police officers manned every intersection to ensure the safe arrival of the organs and the medical team. With the RTA becoming involved and technology advancing this has allowed police to get a ‘green light’ corridor to increase safety and minimise disruption to the public.
- The emergency medical transports that the NSWPF are involved in do not always involve organs. On some occasions it may be the transport of a rare blood type or surgical prosthesis where the patient is already on the operating table.
- Many of the recipients have no idea NSW Police are involved in the organ transport process.
- As many as 10 people can benefit from the organ and tissue donation of just one person.
- Australia has one of the highest transplant success rates in the world.
- Since 1990 Senior Constable Stewart Bailey has been the liaison officer for the medical escorts and plays a key role with stakeholders to ensure a safe and successful transportation. Snr Cst Bailey alone has been involved in more than 200 EMTs.
