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Body donation programme
“A wise man bequeaths his body to an anatomical institute and applies Spinoza's principle, his wisdom is a meditation on life, not death.”
– Fr. Innocenty Maria Bocheński, "Handbook of the Wisdom of This World."
In 2024, Wrocław University of Science and Technology launched the “Conscious Body Donation Programme”, which aims to enable voluntary and conscious Donors to donate their bodies after they die for scientific and teaching purposes pursued at Wrocław Tech’s Faculty of Medicine.
Two copies of the deed of donation of remains must be notarised to participate in the programme. One of these should be provided to the university. Wrocław University of Science and Technology completes all formalities, including transporting the remains and their subsequent burial, following the Donor's religion and wishes. The university may secure the Donor’s anonymity.
CONSCIOUS BODY DONATION PROGRAMME OF WROCŁAW UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
§ 1
“The Conscious Body Donation Programme”, hereinafter referred to as the “Programme”, involves the donation by conscious and voluntary donors, hereinafter referred to as “Donors”, of their bodies after they die for scientific and teaching purposes pursued at Wrocław University of Science and Technology.
§ 2
The legal basis for the Programme is the following provisions:
a) the Act of January 31, 1959, on cemeteries and burying the dead (i.e. Journal of Laws of 2024, item 576),
b) the Regulation of the Minister of Health of July 30, 2009, on the procedure and conditions of donation of cadavers for scientific purposes (Journal of Laws No. 129, item 1067).
§ 3
1. The donation of a cadaver is voluntary and unpaid; it may not be a source of financial gain for the Donor or their relatives.
2. Only an adult person residing in the Republic of Poland who joined the Programme during their lifetime, can become a Donor, which is effected by submitting a written declaration, referred to as the “Deed of Donation”, the specimen of which is set out in Appendix 1.
§ 4
1. The Donor's legible handwritten signature, certified by a notary public, is a prerequisite for the validity of the declaration contained in the Deed of Donation. The cost of the notarisation of the signature may be reimbursed by Wrocław University of Science and Technology on condition that the notary's office issues an invoice.
2. The Deed of Donation must be delivered by the Donor to the University in person or sent to the following address:
Wroclaw University of Science and Technology
BUILDING C-7 – 10 floor, room 1003
pl. Grunwaldzki 11, 51-377 Wrocław
3. The Donor remains anonymous to third parties unless, in the Deed of Donation, they expressed the wish to disclose their personal data after death (first name, surname, year of birth, and year of death) for the Donors to be commemorated by Wrocław University of Science and Technology.
§ 5
1. The Donor's death must be immediately notified to Wrocław University of Science and Technology by the person indicated in the Deed of Donation.
2. The transfer of the cadaver to the University must be accompanied by a death certificate containing a note from the registrar's office registering the death.
3. The transfer of the cadaver is conducted in such a way as to preserve the dignity of the deceased person.
4. The costs of transporting the cadaver from the place of collection are paid by Wrocław University of Science and Technology based on an invoice or bill issued by the entity providing the transport service.
5. In particularly justified cases, Wrocław University of Science and Technology reserves the right to refrain from accepting a cadaver, especially when:
a) the cadaver is in a state of putrefactive decomposition;
b) death occurred outside the country;
c) the deceased was diagnosed with HCV, HBV, HIV infection or other infectious diseases;
d) the cadaver was subjected to a post-mortem examination;
e) death occurred as a result of disseminated cancer disease deforming anatomical structures.
§ 6
1. The expected duration of scientific and teaching activities involving a cadaver is between 1 and 20 years. Only academic teachers, doctoral students and undergraduate and graduate students of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, scientists conducting research as part of scientific projects related to the activities of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and other persons authorised by the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Wrocław University of Science and Technology participate in post-mortems.
2. The obligation to bury the Donor's cadaver rests with the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. At the end of the period of activity referred to in section 1, in accordance with the Donor's wish for burial as contained in the Deed of Donation, the cadaver is buried at the expense of Wrocław University of Science and Technology.
3. The persons named in the Deed of Donation will be notified of the funeral and its date.
4. Where the Donor did not indicate how the burial is to be carried out, the burial is carried out customarily.
§ 7
1. The Donor is obliged to inform the University in writing of any changes concerning their personal data, the data of other persons indicated in the Deed of Donation, and the information contained therein. The Donor also has the right to access and rectify their personal data and the data of other persons indicated by them in the Deed of Donation.
2. The Donor has the right to withdraw from the donation at any time. A relevant written declaration with a notarised signature is required for withdrawal. Once a Donor opts out of the Programme, all their data is deleted.
§ 8
1. The body responsible for the execution of the Programme is the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.
2. All information regarding the Programme can be obtained from the office of the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Wrocław University of Science and Technology.