Essay on Organs Donation

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The number of people who need organ transplants is increasing by the day yet those who are able and willing to donate in very low, demand is greater than supply. The situation is made more complex by the laws governing transfer of organs .Of all organs kidneys remain the most demanded though other organs like livers, hearts, and lungs are also in demand. According to the United Network Kidney Month, 70000 Americans are in dire need of kidneys. Thinking of the number that might need the same world wide makes the whole story all the more saddening. (Sylvan 132)

Out of these 70000 Americans, only 16000 people received kidneys, two fifths receiving from living donors. The rest received from cadavers. The awaiting time before a patient gets a transplant is agonizing, being five to eight years. To make matters worse, this period is expected to double as time goes by owing to the number of patients who are increasing at an alarming rate. To these patients, every waiting second seems like eternity which makes the whole experience torturous. This comes with pain and heavy economic obligations   especially for those patients who have to go for dialysis constantly. (Taylor 207)

This experience tempts patients to make desperate moves like looking for organs in the black market, risking the very life that they seek to spare. At this point one could ask very many questions relating to this issue. The most likely question could be, is finances the problem? Another would be, are donors the problem? The answer to these two question is no. There are many people who willing to give out their organs, but not for free. Only close relatives and highly philanthropic citizens would be willing to donate their organs without any consideration, financial or otherwise. There are many who are of the view that they can exchange their body organs for a better life .The patients going through these agonizing moments would definitely be willing to part with any amount in exchange of good health which in itself is invaluable.( Sylvan 133)

At this point, another question could arise, then where is the problem? There is a willing buyer, there is willing seller; they should make a deal. Ironically the US laws cut off a large supply of organs by dictating that all organs from any donor living or deceased must be given out freely, not to be given out for any valuable consideration. The fact that a large percentage of Americans have designated themselves as donors on their driver’s license or on state–run donor registries shows their willingness to be donors. This introduces the question of introducing incentives to motivate people donate their organs in their life time, an idea which is supported even by transplant specialists.

Consideration for donating organs under the incentives perspective would be benefits like tax breaks, automatic health insurance, deposits in retirement accounts or even scholarships for donors or their dependants. The seriousness of this matter is evidenced by the discussion started by the Ethics Committee of United Network For Organ Sharing ,The American Society Of Transplant Surgeons and the World Transplant Congress ;the major bodies which control the whole business of transplants and organ sharing.

Another mile stone in this debate would be to introduce in the US policies like those existing in Europe whereby unless stated otherwise in writing, at death a person is considered a donor. Another option of compensating a donor posthumously would be contributing a sizeable amount to a charity of his choice or even to a life time health insurance in installments before death or to his estate to gain permission to recover his organs at his death. (Lock 211)

The Institute of Medicine’s caution against treating human organs likes any other commodities of trade does not hold water  since market for other biological products like sperms and surrogate mothers have become widely accepted. A survey conducted in Pennsylvania has actually confirmed that more than half of the people interviewed were   willing to offer their body organs for direct payments. Some quarters have been solidly against direct compensation for any body organ citing exploitation of the poor population. They however need not worry since the government can come in and regulate the whole issue for example by ensuring that donors do not only receive proper follow up care but are also well educated about their rights as well as undergoing careful medical and psychological screening. Rewarding wealthy donor with tax credits is another way of carrying on board even the wealthy. (Sylvan 134)

All efforts should be made to make it possible for people to not only donate organs but also to make tissue donation whereby people can offer their tissues like the bones and bone marrow, tendons ,corneas ,veins, heart valves or even the skin upon their death. Doing it for any benefits, financial or otherwise doesn’t make tissue or organ donation ‘immoral’. The benefits are by far many which beat the logic of limiting it.

Some of these benefits are

1. Cost effectiveness.

The cost of a transplant can sometime be relatively low as compared to the cost of continuous medical attention. This is especially so with the kidney where a patient has to undergo dialysis.

1. Social responsibility.

Making a tissue donation for something in return does not make the issue of social responsibility void since there are people who can donate any part of their body even if they are promised any amount of money. Therefore making an organ donation for a consideration makes the donors achieve their social responsibility.

1. Improvement on the quality of life

This is true for both the patient and the donor. The donor may improve his or her life by utilizing the financial benefits especially if he has a poor financial background. On the other hand, a patient can return to normal working life thereby improving the quality of life.

Keeping in mind these benefits to both the donor and the patient the legality of organ or even tissue donation should not come in. The government will be to blame for the loss of life of people who die while in the waiting list of organs. This is because the are as many willing donors as are the patients who need them but very people are willing to do it free .The patient and the donor finally end meeting in the black market where they both risk their lives since the transplants are not done by qualified professionals. Even where done by professionals, the environments in which they take place are not conducive for a medical operation. (Cherry 140)

Every citizen should be given the right to sell, in his life time or at his death, his body organs freely provided there is no element of coercion and the pre-requisite health standards are met.