Students Meet Kevin Rudd
April 13, 2010
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St Joseph’s Nudgee College Year 12 Health Education students met more than just medical staff and patients during a recent excursion to the Royal Brisbane Hospital.
Head of Health Education Suzie Tjin said the students bumped into the Prime Minister during a visit to the RBH.
"The boys were lucky enough to meet Kevin Rudd... who was doing the rounds of the hospital in a bid to promote his new national funding scheme," Ms Tjin said.
"The boys were certainly star-struck and keen to be involved in such a rare photo opportunity."
Ms Tjin said the hospital visit helped the students to experience first-hand what it was like to live with organ failure.
"The excursion to the dialysis unit sought to consolidate the learning experiences the boys had engaged in throughout the Organ and Tissue Donation topic," she said.
The students raised some important issues while one their excursion.
“Australia has a world class reputation for successful transplant outcomes, and 80 per cent of our population support organ and tissue donation in theory,” class member Mitch Smith said.
“Why, then, did only 247 people become organ donors in 2009?”
“As of March 1st, 1716 people were on the waiting list requiring an organ transplant,” fellow class member Eliot Bluett said.
“Almost anyone is eligible to donate provided their organs are in good condition and they meet the requirements for brain death whilst being adequately ventilated.”
Class member Sam Watson said that “many people are plagued by misconceptions brought about by lack of education and understanding with regards to organ and tissue donation”.
He said research suggested misconceptions regarding religious standing, medical mistreatment fears, body disfigurement and lack of knowledge in terms of family members’ wishes all contributed to the low donor rates.
During the visit to the dialysis unit, the boys were also afforded the opportunity to interact with patients, discovering how their kidney failure has affected their socialisation, employability and general quality of life.
“Dialysis, an alternative to kidney transplantation, costs $84,000 per year whereas a kidney transplant only costs $65,000 plus $11,000 per year in ongoing treatment costs,” class member Ryan Mothershaw said.
He also said organ donation is not only essential for the holistic health of the affected individual, but the health of the community as well.
If you are considering becoming an organ or tissue donor, register your interest by following the links at the Queenslander Donate website and speak with your loved ones to make sure they are aware of your wishes.
