P.E.I. needs programs to support organ donation, says Nova Scotia doctor
CBC
It could be a while before P.E.I. implements presumed organ and tissue donation.
Nova Scotia put its presumed consent donation policy in place back in January. P.E.I. doesn't have a similar policy right now, and before legislation is put in place the province needs proper infrastructure to support organ donation, says Dr. Stephen Beed, medical director of the Nova Scotia Organ and Tissue Donation Program.
"Infrastructure to support the identification and support of an organ donor doesn't exist in P.E.I.," he said to the legislative standing committee on health on social development Wednesday morning via Zoom.
The presumed consent legislation in Nova Scotia, the first in the country, means rather than asking people if they want to donate their organs when they die, people are asked to opt out when they don't want to donate.
Here on P.E.I., the province has an intent-to-donate registry, where you can either opt in or out of organ and tissue donation.
Those who work with organ and tissue donation on P.E.I. have been keeping a close eye on Nova Scotia's model.
While Health PEI helps to facilitate organ donation, Dr. Beed said there needs to be a more robust program to support the idea of organ donation before legislation is put in place.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.