Recently, around 74.000 new citizens received a letter from the Minister of Health asking them to add their names to the Donor Register.
The letter was sent as part of Donor Week, this year from 14 to 20 October, where the whole of the Netherlands focuses on the vital need for organ donation.
Many new citizens don’t know they can register their willingness to be an organ donor directly in the Donor Registry when they settle in the Netherlands.
Even if you have indicated your choice in another country, your decision needs to be registered separately in each country. That’s why every new Dutch citizen gets a letter and a donor form three years after arriving in the country.
From October 14, you can find a specifically themed page with relevant information about organ donation.
This year during the annual Donor Week, the Dutch Transplantation Society, healthcare foundations and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport are all working to raise awareness of organ and tissue donation.
The week starts with a live broadcast on Monday 14 October over YouTube, with Dutch celebrities performing to gather as much attention for the cause as possible. In addition to this there are many activities and events all over the country.
Primarily, the week is designed to encourage people to register online either yes or no (ja of nee) to becoming a donor on the Registry. Last year, Donor Week resulted in 38.000 new registrations.