[Organ donor and health policy: the anaesthesia and reanimation]

The possibility of tissues and organs transplantation is nowadays an ordinary surgical procedure for patients that do not have other way of treatment. Today the principal objective of the National Health Care System is the improvement in the transplantation activities. To achieve this objective it is necessary to sustain and promote donation, which is still the principal resource that can be used to satisfy the needs of the patients in waiting list for transplantation. In Italy much has been done by Institutions and physicians with excellent results, both in terms of number of donations and quality of transplantations. But it is still not sufficient. A non homogeneity is still observed between different Provinces, not only in terms of donation, but also in terms of number of transplantation. This situation does not contribute to guarantee the same level of accessibility to health care assistance, which patients deserve. To solve these problems the National Health Care Plan 2003-2005 has indicated, among the strategic objectives, a better utilization of organs and a more deep campaign of information for all citizens. It is important that all the Institutions and all the operators involved would give more attention to the donation process problems and would always be active and efficient. Only keeping a high level of involvement of the local coordinators and of the anaesthetists and intensive, pivotal figures in the process of donation, and reminding to all citizens the possibility of a "love sign", fruit of a decision born by a personal analysis, it will be possible to offer a possibility of life to the patients for whom up today no other treatments exists.