Ban on organ trading entirely irrational
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IN THE Review article, 'To receive, S'poreans must learn to give' (ST, Jan 11), Ms Salma Khalik argued that the Human Organ Transplant Act, which states that specified organs taken from deceased persons can be given only to Singaporeans or permanent residents, is selfish.
This is because if no Singapore citizen or permanent resident is waiting for an organ, it cannot be harvested, even if there are foreigners who need it urgently.
A Ministry of Health (MOH) spokesman responded by saying that 'We don't want to be seen as doing a tourist trade in organs. We don't want to see a waiting list of foreign patients.'
Ms Khalik had earlier pointed out that Singaporeans have no qualms getting organs from abroad. I would go further.
The MOH spokesman's explanation is politically correct. Organ trading is frowned upon and usually not allowed in countries where political correctness reigns. However, it is entirely irrational and medically incorrect.
No one is harmed by harvesting an organ for transplant into a foreigner needing it desperately when there is no potential local recipient.
On the contrary, a life is likely to be saved. Whether money changes hands is irrelevant. If a person needing an organ transplant is willing to pay for it, what is wrong in us allowing this, so long as Singaporeans and permanent residents take priority over foreigners?
To go further, our law which prohibits live-donor organ transplant whenever there is a contract or arrangement is irrational.
Healthy people can live with one kidney or after having part of their liver removed. If monetary incentive makes a potential living donor more willing to save another life, what is wrong in allowing that?
What is important is that a competent doctor must have assessed and determined that the potential donor's health is not at risk when he gives away the required organ or part of it.
Once that has been confirmed, whether the living donor is doing it from the goodness of his heart, or because he needs money desperately, the fact is that another life is saved.
So long as the donor is fully appraised of the risks and consents voluntarily, who are we to decide for him?
Some years back, a TV personality was allowed to receive part of the liver of her fiancee, yet an Indian woman in a similar dire situation was not allowed to receive a transplant.
This probably was because it could not be confirmed then that there were no commercial considerations involved. So that poor woman died.
This contrast is ethically very muddy. It should not happen again.
Dr Lee Wei Ling
National Neuroscience Institute
NO REASON FOR BAN
If a person needing a transplant is willing to pay for it, what is wrong in us allowing this, so long as S'poreans and PRs take priority over foreigners? -
why is it that everything we do must be politically correct, even at the expense of human life?
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Different people have different values...
Doing what is right and doing things right just cant seem to match together...
Haiz... -
I don't think so.Originally posted by dragg:why is it that everything we do must be politically correct, even at the expense of human life?
Money is the issue. The rich could afford to pay and therefore get the transplant. The poor couldn't, so they are left to die.If a person needing a transplant is willing to pay for it
That is the main issue. I don't care if they have money, all humans, as long as they are not dead, should be given equal chance to live. Just because one is willing to pay doesn't mean the doctor should help and leave the poor alone. It's totally wrong. -
Dr Lee Wei Ling is on a roll.
Ever noticed she is starting to write a lot of letters to the ST forums these days?
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but what about this?Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:That is the main issue. I don't care if they have money, all humans, as long as they are not dead, should be given equal chance to live. Just because one is willing to pay doesn't mean the doctor should help and leave the poor alone. It's totally wrong.
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This is because if no Singapore citizen or permanent resident is waiting for an organ, it cannot be harvested, even if there are foreigners who need it urgently.
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i agree with you that it is wrong if someone jumps queue to get the organ.
but they should allow harvesting since there are foreigners in need of organs. -
That I agree with you. If no Singaporeans or PRs need the organs, it should be harvested and be donated to them. If foreigners allow us to harvest and donate to needy patients, I don't see why Singapore can't do the same.Originally posted by dragg:but what about this?
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This is because if no Singapore citizen or permanent resident is waiting for an organ, it cannot be harvested, even if there are foreigners who need it urgently.
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i agree with you that it is wrong if someone jumps queue to get the organ.
but they should allow harvesting since there are foreigners in need of organs. -
Is it just me or is the word "harvest" making you uncomfortable?
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donating to foreigners is different from selling to foreigners.
wait all the poor folks start selling off their organs, and the desperate ones commit suicide to sell of their remaining organs for money, for their family. -
If you can think of this, it means its possible for those who really are desperate to attempt that.Originally posted by Ito_^:donating to foreigners is different from selling to foreigners.
wait all the poor folks start selling off their organs, and the desperate ones commit suicide to sell of their remaining organs for money, for their family.
Its tough...... -
frankly if someone wants to sell their organ for a price they will find a way.
there is just no stopping them. -
you think for one moment the foreigner with megabucks is going to take a backseat to a local without the megabucks if the hospitals have their way?
heck! a few years ago, the then-health minister was lamenting that the MOH spent money saving the life of a little girl!!
frankly, it's not anything other than a mistrust of the authorities in this... -
But that doesn't mean that we should condone it by making it legal. That'll be the same as saying if someone wants to commit suicide he'll find a way no matter what, so why not legalise suicide as well.Originally posted by dragg:frankly if someone wants to sell their organ for a price they will find a way.
there is just no stopping them. -
Is money that important?
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it was to the health minister who wasn't happy that the MOH spent over $300k to save the life of a little singaporean girl
Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Is money that important? -
since when did i say we should condone it by making it legal?Originally posted by dakkon_blackblade:But that doesn't mean that we should condone it by making it legal. That'll be the same as saying if someone wants to commit suicide he'll find a way no matter what, so why not legalise suicide as well.
btw, who cares if suicide is legalise or not? -
money is everything to our govt.Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Is money that important? -
can anyone find the original article on 11 jan?
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View organ donation as gift to another human
I REFER to the article by Ms Salma Khalik on the willingness - and even the potential - for Singaporeans to donate organs for non-Singaporeans and overseas patients.
The Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP) endorses the philosophy that organ donation should be viewed as a gift to another human being, irrespective of where he may be in the world.
BMDP has a register of 40,000 individuals who have pledged to donate bone marrow to any patient with matching DNA who requires a transplant of bone-marrow stem cells to survive. BMDP works with similar registers around the world to provide this donation.
While we maintain confidentiality between donor and patient, I do not recall any occasion when a donor has refused to help a patient on the grounds that the patient is either not a Singaporean or a resident here. The spirit in which our donors come forward to donate bone marrow is humbling in the extreme and in a personal capacity - as the mother of a transplant patient - and as president of BMDP, I thank all of them for their selflessness and generosity.
It is perhaps time for a change in the conventional wisdom. Singapore offers excellent medical facilities and infrastructure and we can surely support a climate wherein patients who require any kind of transplant can benefit from the same philosophy that we nurture in BMDP.
Jane Prior (Ms)
President
Bone Marrow Donor Programme -
The people cares. Your parents don't bring you up just to let you commit suicide.Originally posted by dragg:since when did i say we should condone it by making it legal?
btw, who cares if suicide is legalise or not? -
Dr Lee Wei Ling is the daughter of Lee Kuan Yew.
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really carefully what i posted!!!!Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:The people cares. Your parents don't bring you up just to let you commit suicide.
who cares if suicide is legalise or not and who cares if anyone commits suicide has different meaning? -
Hmm....Originally posted by dragg:really carefully what i posted!!!!
who cares if suicide is legalise or not and who cares if anyone commits suicide has different meaning?
You ask who cares if suicide is legalize or not... -
sounds nice...
donation was a gift to another human in the NKF too...
those who have something to gain will somehow manipulate the system for their own...
i repeat myself but i don't know why or how a person who could be a health minister choose money over saving a child's life.. but he did..
if people in power can be this callous, what more those who can somehow profit from organ donation?Originally posted by dragg:
View organ donation as gift to another human
I REFER to the article by Ms Salma Khalik on the willingness - and even the potential - for Singaporeans to donate organs for non-Singaporeans and overseas patients.
The Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP) endorses the philosophy that organ donation should be viewed as a gift to another human being, irrespective of where he may be in the world.
BMDP has a register of 40,000 individuals who have pledged to donate bone marrow to any patient with matching DNA who requires a transplant of bone-marrow stem cells to survive. BMDP works with similar registers around the world to provide this donation.
While we maintain confidentiality between donor and patient, I do not recall any occasion when a donor has refused to help a patient on the grounds that the patient is either not a Singaporean or a resident here. The spirit in which our donors come forward to donate bone marrow is humbling in the extreme and in a personal capacity - as the mother of a transplant patient - and as president of BMDP, I thank all of them for their selflessness and generosity.
It is perhaps time for a change in the conventional wisdom. Singapore offers excellent medical facilities and infrastructure and we can surely support a climate wherein patients who require any kind of transplant can benefit from the same philosophy that we nurture in BMDP.
Jane Prior (Ms)
President
Bone Marrow Donor Programme[b][/b] -
you still dont get what i mean?Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Hmm....
You ask who cares if suicide is legalize or not...
you posted,
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The people cares. Your parents don't bring you up just to let you commit suicide.
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i agree that the people or/and your parents care whether you commit suicide or not
BUT they dont care if suicide is legalized or not.
you get my point?