X-Message-Number: 28172
Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2006 19:42:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: section 14 bans organ transplantation in BC
Here's the lastest reply. I think the July 6'th meeting could get
interesting.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2006 14:32:56 -0700
From: Tayt Winnitoy
To: Doug Skrecky
Cc: Betty.Down, Terry Barnett,
Manjit Bains, Tom Aquiline, Janet Ricciutti
Subject: RE: section 14 bans organ transplantation in BC
Mr. Skrecky,
I apologize for the error in my initial response in which I addressed
you as being associated with the BC Transplant Society. I see that this
is not the case and that you had sent your concerns to me regarding
their activities as a means of illustrating your opposition to section
14 of the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act.
I notice you have copied your note to the Ministry of Public Safety &
Solicitor General as well as the chair of the Cremation, Interment and
Funeral Services Advisory Group. I will therefore assume that the
information you have presented will be included for consideration in any
review of Section 14.
Thank you for writing,
Tayt Winnitoy
Executive Director, Operations
BPCPA
-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Skrecky [mailto:]
Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 4:48 PM
To: Tayt Winnitoy
Cc: Betty.Down; Terry Barnett; Manjit Bains; Tom Aquiline; Janet Ricciutti
Subject: section 14 bans organ transplantation in BC
Thank you for your reply, Tayt. I'll be frank, my primary interest in
section 14, is due to the fact that it effectively bans cryonics in BC.
This is the primary reason why I have not made any cryonic arrangements
myself, since to do so would be futile, while section 14 is in force.
However I believe you are being overly optimistic in assuming that the
BC Transplant Society is not in violation of section 14. Nowhere in the
BC Transplant Society's website
(http://www.transplant.bc.ca/odr_criteria_main.htm) is it stated that a
dead human body in ANY stage of decomposition is ineligible to be
considered as a source of transplant organs. Thus the BC Transplant
Society is automatically in technical violation of section 14. The
criteria that are mentioned on their website are as follows:
(Fewer than one percent of deaths can result in potential organ
donation.
Most deaths allow you to be a donor for tissue such as skin, cornea, and
bone, but more exact criteria must be met before solid organs such as
heart and kidneys can be donated.)
Bill 3 2004 of the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act bans
the use of human remains as a source of transplant organs, where the
definition of human remains is as follows:
("human remains" means
(a) a dead human body in ANY stage of decomposition, or
(b) a body of a stillborn infant in any stage of decomposition, but does
not include cremated remains;)
The BC Transplant Society does deal with human remains, according to
the above definition. They do this because they have no choice in the
matter, due to the strictness of the criteria regarding ANY stage of
decomposition. It is obvious that they were never consulted when Section
14 was drafted, or they would have pointed this out.
As any reference to the medical literature will show, some degree of
decomposition is inevitable in all postmortem donor bodies. To
completely avoid this would require that the transplant organs be
harvested while the donor is still alive. I recommend that you refer
this matter to a forensic scientist. No offense, but a civil servant
such as yourself will not have the background required to judge this
matter. Below are some examples from the medical literature, which
illustrate the point.
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 1984; 38(9-10): 458-61 Rapid post-mortem
decomposition of the somatostatin cells in human brain. An
immunohistochemical examination.
Pancreas 1990; 5(1): 91-94
Postmortum Autolysis in the Pancreas: Multivariate Statistical Study The
influence of Clinicopathological Conditions
To paraphrase section 14. Preservation or storage of human remains is
prohibited whenever there is expectation of the resuscitation of human
remains. This bans cryonics as well as any (legal) form of human organ
transplantation.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2006 08:53:36 -0700
From: Tayt Winnitoy
To: Doug Skrecky
Cc: Betty Down, Terry Barnett, Manjit Bains
Subject: RE: section 14 bans organ transplantation in BC
Dear Doug Skrecky,
Thank you for your email regarding the interpretation of section 14 of
the CIFSA and its relationship to organs for transplant. This section of
the legislation was meant to deal specifically with arrangements related
to the preservation and storage of human remains. The Act defines human
remains as a dead human body in any stage of decomposition. I would
therefore not consider organs for transplant as human remains and
therefore would not consider your activities as the BC Transplant
Society as triggering any violation of section 14.
Regardless, I have copied your message below and my response above to
the Ministry of Public Safety & Solicitor General so they are aware of
your concerns. Please feel free to call (604 296-2853)or email me should
you have any further concerns,
Yours,
Tayt Winnitoy
Executive Director, Operations
BPCPA
-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Skrecky [mailto:]
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 10:20 PM
To: Tayt Winnitoy
Subject: section 14 bans organ transplantation in BC
Tayt Winnitoy, Director of Operations
Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority
Dear sir:
It has come to my attention that section 14 of Bill 3 2004 Cremation,
Interment and Funeral Services Act bans organ transplantation in the
province of BC. See link
(http://www.legis.gov.bc.ca/37th5th/3rd_read/gov03-3.htm). I have
reproduced section 14 below. As you can see, (c) bans (for example) the
sale of transplantation solutions in BC, that are offered, or sold, on
the expectation of the resuscitation of human remains such as kidneys. I
also take a dim view of the banning of cryonics in BC in 14(a), and
14(b) apparently bans something that has never existed.
I would like to request that some consideration be given to deleting
section 14 from the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act.
_________________________________________________________________
Prohibition on sales, and offers of sale, of arrangements relating to
cryonics and irradiation
14 A person must not offer for sale, or sell, an arrangement for the
preservation or storage of human remains that is based on
(a) cryonics,
(b) irradiation, or
(c) any other means of preservation or storage, by whatever name called,
and that is offered, or sold, on the expectation of the resuscitation of
human remains at a future time.
___________________________________________________________________
Note: here are some statistics from the B.C. Transplant Society's
website:
Number of solid organ transplants performed in BC in 2005:
191 Total
115 kidney (74 Living Donor, 41 Deceased Donor)
34 liver (3 Living Donor, 31 Deceased Donor)
16 heart
3 pancreas-kidney
2 pancreas
11 pancreas-islet
7 single-lung
3 double-lung
Yours sincerely
Doug Skrecky
CC:
BC Transplant Society
3rd Floor, West Tower
555 West 12th Ave
Vancouver, BC
V5Z 3X7
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