My Bioethical Opinion is... (5) Commidification of Human Organs for Transplant

The current shortage of organs for transplant leads to death of several patients on the waiting lists worldwide and has lead to organ trade, medical tourism in various forms. The concept of free organs for transplants is outdated. WHO and UNO should allow organ trade under strict conditions and provide good follow up healthcare and financial incentives to donors?

It can be addressed by invoking "Presumed consent" and paying families
for the medical costs of the brain dead dead patient before harvesting organs.

Hospitals, surgeons and laboratories gain a lot of prestige and money doing organ transplants.

Why a poor person, who wants to make a new start in life,
not able to sell his kidney in the open to the hospital and provided medical care and follow up in case of any problems?

I had set up a new Bioethics knol (unpublished) to debate this issue'

Krishan Maggon

Here is my Answer:

Yes , there is a shortage. Yes, this shortage will allow the deaths of much more than several  patients on organ waiting lists worldwide but no I don’t agree with the sale of human vital organs as one would sell a car or sell a house.   Human vital organs should not be a commodity such as fish, turkey or vegetables that one can purchase as needed at a price (perhaps at a sale price!)  It is nonsense to try to set a base price on a kidney, on a liver, on a heart and then, perhaps, attempt to sell the organ to the highest bidder.  These organs are priceless and should be treated as such and should be donated rather than sold.  Donated, because, in a humanistic sense, the act would represent one of the highest altruistic contribution one person could give to another.  Donated, as part of a program that will give each needy potential recipient a fair and just chance to receive the organ and not be rejected because of lack of financial means.  Donated, because allowing selling will also encourage a worldwide trade in organs many of which would not be obtained with the consent of the person from whom the organ was removed.  Criminal behavior, including killing to obtain organs on the part of individuals or groups may be involved  if sales  of organs were permitted.  These are some of the reasons leading to my personal view.  Further, I look at organ transplant as a transient issue in the management and treatment of vital organ failures.  Transient, because I suspect that the approach of organ regeneration or creation by vigorous stem cell research and  therapy using  stem cell responses within organs, the latter even occurring at present , will be not too far away.  In the meantime, society should find other means of supporting poor people and not have them sell an organ for the hope of bettering their life. In the meantime, organ donation programs should be encouraged and “opt out” programs should be considered by nations, in which all citizens are considered donors at time of death unless they had formally decided not to participate. Families should not be rewarded with money for their lovedone's altruistic contribution.

Though at present all needy patients will not get their organ transplant and many will continue to die from their underlying disease, the selling of organs would not contribute much but only  challenge ethics and the law.  Anyway, this is my opinion. ..Maurice.