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In much the same way that factions of the pro- drugs lobby advocate legalisation as a means of governmental control, Professor Maqsood Noorani – warning that there is a worldwide shortage of organs available for transplant – advocates the legalising of the international market in donor organs. In an article published in The Observer, Professor Noorani says “Living donors in poor countries such as Pakistan, need compensation for their organs and it should be the responsibility of the government to provide it rather than leaving it to the market.”
Do you believe that to pay donors for organs is ethically correct, or an exploitation of the poor and vulnerable?
Confused? You should be! However, maybe the views of two leading authorities on the matter (also speaking to The Observer) may help clarify the debate.Should we pay donors to increase the supply of organs?
YES
Arthur Matas, professor of surgery, University of Minnesota
“Today’s biggest problem in kidney transplantation is the shortage of organs. Each year more patients are placed on the waiting list for a deceased donor transplant than there are available organs. Each year the waiting list gets longer.
A regulated system would provide strict control and limit harm. It would include payment made by the government, allocation of kidneys [by predefined criteria] so that every candidate has an opportunity for a transplant, full donor evaluation, long-term follow-up and treatment of the donor with dignity and appreciation for providing a life-saving gift. Compensation for living donors will increase the number of transplants and decrease death and suffering on dialysis. No other alternative to compensation will provide a sufficient numbers of kidneys.
I believe we should advocate a change in the law to allow a trial of regulated compensation for living donors to increase the supply of organs and protect the health and dignity of waiting patients.”NO
Jeremy Chapman, professor of transplant research, University of Sydney
“Transplantation is threatened by the daily global carnage brought about by paying for organs. Sale of organs is advocated by the rich as a human freedom, but this right is exclusively exercised by the poor.
Selling organs does not help people lift themselves from destitution. In the bazaars of India and Pakistan, people sell kidneys to pay off debts, but then average family incomes decline by more than a third, more live below the poverty line and 86 per cent report deterioration in their health.
Organ sales distort the vendor country. Sales of kidneys and livers boomed in China. Executions also boomed and were measured with precision since each execution meant one liver transplant.
Organ sales also destroy donation. In countries where paid organ transplants occur, there is little or no donation. In countries where many transplant recipients go overseas, domestic programmes are underfunded and failing.Any thoughts on the matter?
difficult one
my immediate reaction was surely every human being has a right to sell an organ if it is their wish ,but after reading the no comment he has some valid points, the cost of deteriorating health on the donor on healthcare for one, and the hardship on the people having to care for them,( and as he said probably going to be in the poorer parts of society)and also the usual death organ donation being lower doesnt bode so well, think im going to sit on this one and see some further debates on the matter before coming to a conclusion.Isnt it just as serious an op for the donor as much as for the recipient.
If it was for somebody I knew, family or friend it would be the best gift you could ever give.
I once read a book about a freak who went around cutting people’s organs out to sell on, creeped me out, I can imagine it happening!
I just dunno on this one…. oh but back to my first point, without hesitation if I was a match for a loved one they could have it, if it still works!
But Shazza, would you sell a kidney, to an anonymous recipient, as a purely financial transaction without any philanthropical intent?
Depends how hard up you are i think sercomstances how much they would give for it
If im right they give blood in other counties and its brought of them as we just give blood
if its enough to care for your family if ya stone broke then i think yeah maybe i would
Women have sold there bodys for years to make ends meet
Selling your kidney would only be viable if it was in reasonably good condition. If you had some sort of kidney disease or HIV or were a drunk or something – I can’t imagine that you’d be doing the unfortunate recipient any favours eh?
I have a donar card, not that it’s much use, I had yellow jaundice as a child, but if they want anything they can have it but not until I am dead.
if the selling of organs were allowed there would be mass harvesting done without the permission of the host, firstly they would plunder the third world, then they would murder to order. then the doctors will play god and decide who is or isnt fit to live, if, say a homeless person was admitted to hospital, and a milionaire just hapened to be on the list. there would be moneys passed and the tramp would die of natural causes. it can never work.
@esmeralda wrote:
But Shazza, would you sell a kidney, to an anonymous recipient, as a purely financial transaction without any philanthropical intent?
Dunno mate! What if someone was skint but needed it and Id already sold it, should the skint person lose out… its a wierd consception and you can see it being run by fat cat businessmen with no interest in somebodies health.
And Im unsure of what philanthropical means :oops: :wink: :lol:
And back to my fictional scary point about a nutter going round cutting them out? I werent wrong!
Apparantly this could be a factor in the amount of deaths in China over the years. Perfectly healthy prisoners inside for the least of crimes being given the death penalty. Their families suspect exactly what I said, its the organ business, they fetch a huge sum of money.
God I hate the Chinese government the more I read about them.
I saw a programme about that, chinkys go to America and have them removed by a back street surgeon and if they die it don’t matter because the government don’t know they are in the country because they enter illegally.
I think it would be a good idea to pay people or thier estate if they carry a Doner Card and organs are used.
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