The ethics of opt out organs
The Conversation | Carwin Hooper
Photo: Matters of the heart … the ethics of organs aren’t simple. Charlotte Astrid
Legend has is that the first human transplant took place in the 3rd century AD. The “lucky†recipient was said to be a sacristian called Justinian who received a donated leg from a recently demised Ethiopian soldier.
Whatever the facts of the matter regarding Cosmos and Damian’s third century surgical skills, there is no disputing the claim that organ transplantation has now become a highly effective and fairly routine surgical procedure. Sadly, however, the supply of organs has not kept up with demand.
In the UK, for example, around 1000 people die each year whilst waiting for an organ to become available and in the USA it has been estimated that 20 people die each and every day because there is an inadequate supply of organs.
This dire situation has lead policy makers and health care professionals to advocate a range of strategies to try and increase the number of potential donors.
The organ grind
A number of countries, including the Republic of Ireland and Germany, have plumped for an “opt in†policy. According to this kind of scheme people are only placed on an organ donation register if they take active steps to have their name added to the list. Other countries, including Singapore and Spain, have adopted a slightly more radical “opt out†policy. According to this kind of scheme every competent adult is placed on an organ donation register and anyone who does not want their organs to be donated after death must take active steps to have their name removed from the list.
A number of states in the USA â€" most notably Texas and California â€" have experimented with another kind of policy known as a “mandated choice†policy. This kind of policy tries to force every adult citizen to declare their views about organ donation. This is often achieved by requiring newly qualified drivers to declare their preferences as a condition of being given their driving licence.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.
Photo: Matters of the heart … the ethics of organs aren’t simple. Charlotte Astrid
Legend has is that the first human transplant took place in the 3rd century AD. The “lucky†recipient was said to be a sacristian called Justinian who received a donated leg from a recently demised Ethiopian soldier.
Whatever the facts of the matter regarding Cosmos and Damian’s third century surgical skills, there is no disputing the claim that organ transplantation has now become a highly effective and fairly routine surgical procedure. Sadly, however, the supply of organs has not kept up with demand.
In the UK, for example, around 1000 people die each year whilst waiting for an organ to become available and in the USA it has been estimated that 20 people die each and every day because there is an inadequate supply of organs.
This dire situation has lead policy makers and health care professionals to advocate a range of strategies to try and increase the number of potential donors.
The organ grind
A number of countries, including the Republic of Ireland and Germany, have plumped for an “opt in†policy. According to this kind of scheme people are only placed on an organ donation register if they take active steps to have their name added to the list. Other countries, including Singapore and Spain, have adopted a slightly more radical “opt out†policy. According to this kind of scheme every competent adult is placed on an organ donation register and anyone who does not want their organs to be donated after death must take active steps to have their name removed from the list.
A number of states in the USA â€" most notably Texas and California â€" have experimented with another kind of policy known as a “mandated choice†policy. This kind of policy tries to force every adult citizen to declare their views about organ donation. This is often achieved by requiring newly qualified drivers to declare their preferences as a condition of being given their driving licence.
Continue reading
______________________________________________________
"You have the power to SAVE lives."
To register as a donor in California:
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org
Outside California:
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.
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