Organ donation scandal call for more controls

Organ donation scandal: Experts call for stricter controls on donor organs

07/22/2012

The scandal over organ transplant manipulation has alarmed policy makers. Numerous experts called for tighter controls and harsher punishment on the weekend. One possible consequence could be the so-called „Four-eyes principle“ in the transmission of organ donation data. The medical profession and Eurotransplant are not yet in agreement on the question of what consequences should be drawn. Politicians fear due to the scandal a significant decline in donations willingness of the population.

According to the investigating authorities, the former senior physician of the Göttingen University Hospital has not yet commented on the allegations. First, the suspect wants to discuss with his lawyer the further course, as it was called from circles of the investigation authorities. A spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office Brunswick said on Sunday, the doctor has „so far not used the opportunity to speak publicly about the events“. According to the hospital management, the senior physician has never confirmed the allegation of manipulation of organ donation data. A possibly agreed royalties contract will be included in the search for the motive in the investigation, as the spokeswoman for the prosecutor emphasized. The investigative authorities assume that the 45-year-old doctor for the investigators „accessible at any time“ is. „The investigation can take months“, so the spokeswoman. It is still uncertain when these are completed.

Against the senior physician has been determined once before
The former senior physician at the Göttingen Clinic is accused of having forged files to such an extent that some patients waiting for a liver transplant were clearly preferred in the waiting period. It is believed that the doctor has received funds for it. According to the hospital management on Saturday, it is believed that even more employees have at least known about the hustle and bustle. It was „unlikely to carry out such an act alone“, as it was called. Meanwhile, the university hospital rejected the accusation when selecting the staff „careless“ to have been. According to the „Southgerman newspaper“ has already been investigated in the past against the accused, because this had a provided for the clinic in Regensburg liver transferred to Jordan. The head of the Standing Committee on Organ Transplantation of the German Medical Association, Hans Lilie, had opposite the radio station „NDR INFO“ told, „he was surprised that the clinic had even hired the doctor after the investigation“.

Four eyes principle for controls
In the course of the scandal, Lily proposes another monitoring body for the review of organ donation data. In his view, a four-eyes principle must be introduced. An independent laboratory doctor will review the data again, according to the head of the Standing Committee. So Lily told the daily „world“: „I follow the idea that a lab doctor should re-examine the data sent to Eurotransplant.“ Eurotransplant is the main agency for organ donation in Germany. In the NDR he goes on to say that his opinion would be an isolated case and not necessarily „about a failure of the system“.

The medical director of the Essen University Hospital and member of the ethics council, Eckhard Nagel, is in favor of this supervisory body. In addition, there should be fewer transplant centers in Germany to make them more verifiable. The medical director of Eurotransplant, Axel Rahmel, spoke in the ZDF for tighter controls „Today's Journal“ out.
For the proposal of the „Four-eyes principle“ also Eckhard Nagel, medical director of the University Hospital Essen in the newspaper „world“. According to the director „It would increase local security and the likelihood of detecting fraud if two doctors had to sign the findings.“ The physician is also a member of the German Ethics Council. Nagel had advised the SPD politician Frank-Walter Steinmeier before the kidney donation to his wife. Nagel warned in the course of this „before a loss of confidence in transplantation medicine in Germany.“

Random sampling
The head of the organ placement „Euro Transplant“, Bruno Meiser, advocates spot checks as a control measure in the transplant centers. „Every post-mortem donated organ is unique, an act of charity beyond the donor's death“, Meiser argued against the „World on Sunday“. „We have to deal with the highest ethical standards with this precious good.“

Also against the favored „Four-eyes principle“ is the chairman of the Ärztekammer Westfalen-Lippe, Theodor Windhorst. For some decisions, the process was not „Cheap“ and practically not always feasible“, he criticized in the „world“. Windhorst is also a member of the Organ Transplant Commission. The system must „not be revolutionized“. Rather, he does not assume that all doctors have fallen into corruption. Instead, all centers should be checked to see if they have worked properly so far. This should be done on a case-by-case basis and according to the principle of chance, demanded Windhorst.

Health Minister worried about trust
The Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr (FDP) is concerned that the scandal probably reduces the willingness to donate. At the same time Bahr showed up „pleased that now one „open discussion between the experts was set in motion“. Although the Minister did not position himself for one of the proposed controls, he nevertheless campaigned for „better rules and procedures“ for transplants. "I appeal to the citizens not to jump to conclusions from the allegations," said the Minister in the "Welt". "After all, organ donations save lives"

Windhorst also sees the danger of a decline in readiness for organ donation. The organ donation scandal was an absolute „Meltdown“ for people's trust in organ transplantation. Normally, criminal acts are completely excluded. But the currently prevailing lack of management of the donor organs „criminal energy now opens the door.“

A few days ago it became known that at the University Hospital Göttingen a senior physician in the department of transplantation, manipulated medical records. These actions „should have happened in a big way“, as the hospital management admitted on the weekend. Some patients are said to have been favored by the manipulations of donor liver transplants. Among other things, laboratory values ​​were changed and dialysis protocols forged in order to simulate kidney diseases in addition to the severe disease of the liver. Such values ​​and diagnoses improve the position on the waiting list, which is why some patients transplanted a donor organ more quickly. The main suspect, who has already been discharged from the hospital, is silent about the allegations or denies them to his former employer. (Sb)

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Image: Dieter Schütz