Relatives would soon lose the right to revoke the wish of a deceased family member to donate body organs, Health Minister Joe Cassar said.

“An organ donor card doesn’t really mean much other than my wish when I am declared clinically dead,” Dr Cassar said, pointing out that, as things stood, any relative or next of kin could order the hospital not to abide by the deceased person’s wish.

For this reason, he said, the Bioethics Committee within the Health Ministry, chaired by Michael Asciak, had carried out research and come up with a “very substantial document” that would be translated into legislation on organ donation.

The legislation, he said, would ensure wishes were respected. The provisions should be in place within a year.

“A living will system will be introduced in Malta,” he said, adding that whether this was through specific status on the ID card or whether it was done through an organ donor register was irrelevant.

A living will is a legal document whereby doctors are authorised to do or not do certain medical procedures in cases where patients become incapacitated or medically unconscious to make decisions or even speak. Abroad, many are now including organ donation in their living will.

The issue of organ donor status was raised in a conference last week when President George Abela said he would back proposals to place the status on the ID card. “Relatives should not be able to go against this decision,” he said.

The Labour Party spokesman for health, Michael Farrugia, said he would back the issue.

A study, presented at the conference, found that 69 per cent would donate their organs upon their death. However, only 21 per cent of them owned a donor card.

In Malta, one person a year has a heart transplant, 12 have a kidney transplant, including three from live donors, and 14 have a cornea transplant.