Health Ministry initiative aims to promote organ donation

Deputy Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman declines to tell 'Post' whether he himself was registered with ADI.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
YA’ACOV LITZMAN (photo credit: (Ariel Jerozolimski)
YA’ACOV LITZMAN
(photo credit: (Ariel Jerozolimski)
The Health Ministry has launched a major campaign to get the public to register as potential organ donors with the ADI organization.
Ministry Director-General Dr. Ronni Gamzu – who has long been on the ADI list – went to the Aroma coffee shop at the Israel Diamond Exchange in Ramat Gan on Tuesday to launch the ministry’s campaign to sign up potential organ donors at all the chain’s branches. Aroma CEO Asher Lev signed an ADI card at the event.
Gamzu congratulated him for encouraging potential donor registration and sat with customers to explain the importance of it. The screens of the computerized cash registers showed the image of an ADI card and encouraged customers to sign up as they paid for their meals.
Deputy Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman declined to tell The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday whether he himself was registered with ADI.
Although some haredim in the US recognize brain death – when the lower brain stops functioning even if the person still is still breathing – as the time when organs can be removed for transplant, most haredim do not. Most organs cannot be used for transplant if the heart has already ceased beating.
Opponents of taking organs at brain death include the Gur hassidic sect and the United Torah Judaism Party, of which Litzman is a member.
People who want an ADI card can call *6262 or go into the website at www.kartisadi.org.il.