Sale of human organs should be legalized, say surgeons (UK)

By Lewis Smith, The Independent

Excerpts:

Leading surgeons are calling for the Government to consider the merits of a legalised market in organs for transplant. A public discussion on allowing people to sell their organs would, the doctors say, allow a better-informed decision on a matter of such moral and medical significance.

But there are serious concerns that introducing payments for people who donate their organs would result in poor and vulnerable people coming under severe pressure to alleviate their financial problems by selling a part of their body.

Professor Sir Peter Bell, former vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons but now retired from practice, wants a public debate because there is such a shortage of organs for transplantation: "It is time to debate it again. There is a great shortage of organs."

Recent medical advances, he said, now make it reasonable to allow a kidney market and perhaps the sale of liver donations, although other body parts remain too risky, he argued.

"If someone wants to alleviate a financial problem why shouldn't he do that? It's his choice," he said.

Professor Bell suggested a fee of £50,000 to £100,000 for each kidney, the equivalent of one or two years on dialysis, and added: "Kidney donation has now become so safe it's something you could ethically justify and it would stop all this illegal trafficking."

Other opponents to the creation of a market in organs say it would cross major ethical barriers – and there are less radical measures that could be looked at first. "I don't believe we should be commercialising parts of our bodies," said Professor Anthony Warrens, Dean of Education at The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, adding that "the most disadvantaged" people would end up selling parts of their bodies, potentially with disregard for the risks involved. "It's just very risky if it's legalised," said Kenneth Boyd, professor of medical ethics at the University of Edinburgh.

A radical extension to the organ transplant programme is being launched by the Government, bringing fresh hope to hundreds of desperately ill patients. In a boost to the existing programme, hospitals will retrieve organs from patients who die in accident and emergency departments – as well as from those who die in intensive care units, as is currently the case. The move is expected to make hundreds more organs available to reduce the waiting list.

Figures show that 28 per cent of the population has signed up to the organ donor register, but only 1 per cent die in circumstances where their organs can be used. A&E departments lack the equipment and trained staff for the task.

Full article - here.