No payments or benefits for families of deceased organ donors are being planned in Kazakhstan, according to the website infohub.kz.
Aidar Sitkazinov, director of the Republican Center for Coordination of Transplantation and High-Tech Medical Services at the Ministry of Health, told a briefing that posthumous donation in the country remains uncompensated, and the issue of financial incentives for donors’ families is not under consideration.
In response to a question about whether benefits or financial support could be introduced to reduce refusals of posthumous donation, Sitkazinov said: “Currently, it is accepted worldwide that donation is free and uncompensated, based on humanity and altruism. We adhere to this principle, and therefore there is currently no financial incentive for relatives who have given consent.”
Currently, only moral recognition in the form of thank-you letters is provided. During the briefing, a question was also raised about the possibility of notarizing consent for posthumous donation so that the decision is not made by relatives. Sitkazinov explained that no such practice exists: “Here, probably, a conversation with relatives is needed, at least to inform them that the person gave their consent. For now, the final word still rests with close relatives.”
Additionally, it was reported that organ transplantation for foreign citizens is not provided for in Kazakhstan.