CYPRUS: New driving licenses to provide organ donor option

Cyprus MPs have voted in legislation to promote organ donation by allowing future motorists to become organ donors when they apply for a driving license.

Parliament has passed an amendment to legislation governing the issuance of driving licenses, with which applicants will have the option to state whether they would be willing to allow for their organs to be donated in the event of their death.

A similar bill was considered in back in May 2017 but was deemed to be incomplete and efforts were abandoned until Friday when a bill proposed by DISY’s Demetris Demetriou was passed.

According to the legislation, applicants for a driver's license will be informed about organ donation and transplants and will be asked on their application form whether they would like to become an organ donor. Applicants will have the right to refuse.

Applicants that answer positively will have their names added to the national database of organ donors to tackle a shortage.