Sale of human organs?

[Skillet]

Should the sale of human organs be legal?



Here's a little background:

Advances in surgical and diagnostic techniques have substantially increased the success of organ transplant operations. In 2000, a total of 22,827 organs were transplanted in the United States. However, in the preceding decade, the discrepancy between the number of available organs and the number of patients requiring a transplant operation has increased significantly. A British Medical Association (BMA) report has indicated that in the period between 1995 and 1999, 1,000 patients in the United Kingdom died whilst waiting for a heart, lung, or liver transplant. An average of 15 patients die every day in the US whilst awaiting an appropriate organ. The genuine figure will likely be inflated by the deaths of patients that are never waitlisted for a transplant. In addition, substantial numbers of patients die annually on account of the absence of both kidney donors and the lack of dialysis machines. The sale of human organs can be considered as a possible solution to the crippling shortage. The black market trade in human organs is already thriving. Entrepreneurs offer the opportunity for British patients to receive privately financed transplant operations in India and Malaysia. An American citizen was recently arrested in Rome for offering human hearts and pancreas glands for sale to Italian doctors. In February, two Chinese government officials were charged with the sale of the organs of executed prisoners. In 1983, Dr. Barry Jacobs requested that the U.S. government create a fund to compensate the families who donate the organs of deceased relatives, or ‘cadaveric donors’. Dr. Jacobs also proposed to set up a business that would buy kidneys from living donors for transplantation in American patients. The proposal raised popular opposition. The National Organ Transplantation Act in 1984 still prohibits the sale of human organs from either dead or living donors.

I have a fairly strong opinion on this one, but want to hear others' voices first.



D & D.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

I think it should be legal. I know if my family members or myself were about to die waiting for an organ, I would pay any amount of money to save their/my life.

 

[Skillet]

I think it should be legal. I know if my family members or myself were about to die waiting for an organ, I would pay any amount of money to save their/my life.

But is that fair to the working class? It would cost tens of thousands--



How fair is it to the people that are waiting for months.. or even years.. To tell them that they need to wait even longer, because someone else bought their future heart. That's not fair. That's not right. Everyone should be given equal opportunity. If someone has been waiting longer, they should be helped first. Simple as that. I guess my perception on the matter is kind of skewed because of living in Canada.. Where we do have health care.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Everyone should be given equal opportunity

to die because they didnt get their organ in time.



..Thought I would finish that sentence for you.

 

[Skillet]

[quote name='Skillet'] Everyone should be given equal opportunity

to die because they didnt get their organ in time.



..Thought I would finish that sentence for you.

[/quote]



So some other person should die because someone else has more money? Whose to decide a person with more cash has any more right to live than someone who just has basic health care?

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

I dont have any money but if someone in my family was dying and could not wait any longer, I would figure out a way to raise money so I could get them their organ. I wouldnt just sit there and let them die. I would pay a healthy person to donate their organs to my sick family.

 

[Skillet]

I dont have any money but if someone in my family was dying and could not wait any longer, I would figure out a way to raise money so I could get them their organ. I wouldnt just sit there and let them die. I would pay a healthy person to donate their organs to my sick family.

And what if the other person raises more for the same organ? But your family member had been waiting longer? Still feel the same?

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

There is plenty of fish in the sea. I'd find someone.

 

[Skillet]

But doing this will LIMIT it significantly. Look; there are a lot of sick people. And there are a lot of very wealthy people. Priority will ALWAYS go to the rich people. Always. I know if the opportunity came, I too would also do all it took to get an organ faster. But this WOULDN'T WORK. Unless you are wealthy. There are already shortages here, and organ surgery can take a year.. That's an average. So lets take the richest people, give them all the organs, and let everyone else die? Is that what you're saying?







God, I love debates.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Well Im talking about finding a perfectly healthy person and paying them off to donate an organ.

Those who get organs from the big bank of organs (or wherever they get organs from, lol) wont be affected nor will their wait times.

 

[Skillet]

Lets try to think about it.. What person in America, or even Canada will sell their organ for any amount of cash? Few. You couldn't pay me enough to loose a kidney or something for someone I don't know.



And you know what happens? An underground black market for organs from Africa or similar places. How safe do you think that will be?

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

You can say what if all day. You have a good imagination so go on..

 

[Skillet]

It's not imagination. It's reality. This is ACTUALLY happening in Europe.



But unlike most other debaters, I'll source my points.

Entrepreneurs offer the opportunity for British patients to receive privately financed transplant operations in India and Malaysia. An American citizen was recently arrested in Rome for offering human hearts and pancreas glands for sale to Italian doctors. In February, two Chinese government officials were charged with the sale of the organs of executed prisoners.

http://www1.american.edu/TED/prisonorgans.htm

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/hea ... utiny.html



Looks like China and Philippines are also popular places to get organs.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Looks like China and Philippines are also popular places to get organs.

Guess thats where I would go if one of my family members needed an organ.

 

[Skillet]

..



It's far more complex than that. You'd have to denounce your American residence, get residence there, and hope you can find someone. Then move back. High fees to get it, and if the person is so ill they need a new organ, it would be tough. I think there are laws disallowing importing fresh organs into USA.



I could go in more detail if you want?

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

You seem to doubt my loyalty to my own flesh and blood..

 

[Skillet]

What was that? You give up debating?

 

[xneseyx]

as long as organs are not being stolen from people and they're not being sold on ebay, it's fine with me. I watched a documentary-thingy about this scandal in the states over stolen organs.