A Disgraceful Debate
 

The BMA has organised a debate today on whether people should be allowed to sell their organs for transplants. Personally, I feel that this particularly repellent idea should not be given the slighest encouragement, and am surprised that the BMA have attached their prestigious name to it. The supporters of this idea claim that it would be strictly controlled, that donors would be at the head of the queue if they ever needed a transplant and that (pardon me, whilst I stop laughing) the rich would not be allowed to queue jump. As far as I am concerned, it will simply end up as an extremely unpleasant form of exploitation of the the poor, the disadvantaged and the desperate. I know that (nominally) illegal organ purchase occurs in many poor countries, but since when did two blacks make a white?

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

I think it's distasteful. I'm not sure about the morality of it though. I suppose thats what the BMA are trying to establish.

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

I agree. It's absolutely disgraceful, and will end up an exploitation of the less advantaged (and you're right, an extremely unpleasant form of that).

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

But surely what you say is *why* there should be a debate on the matter!

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

I've sold my organ.

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

Male prostitution?? :confused: :p :p :p :p

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

Can I ask what sort of organs they'd like people to sell? I mean, a kidney you can do without but I I can't see a queue of people wanting to donate a heart/liver/eyes/genitalia (ok, so I've not heard of transplant of the last two)

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

Over a keyboard? :confused: :p :p :p :p

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

there was a documentary on channel 5 tonight about people in nigeria (I think?) who illegally sell their own kidneys because they are so poor. these are for westerners to have.

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

I would assume a (1) kidney is where it starts off, as a heart donation would kind of stop the donor living. But I didn't start the thread...

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

One beautifully reconditioned church organ for sale :p

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

I'd rather cut my right arm off than sell my organs. :disturbd:

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

sell your organs whatever next selling locks of hair this is just stupid i think the only reason anyone would want to do this is for financial gain no id rather have all my bits intact thank you

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

People do sell their hair to wigmakers. I read somewhere that you can get £5 per ounce for it.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/HairBuyer/

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

i forgot we live in the digital age :spin:

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

Has anyone shown russ that link yet?...








I'll close the door on my way out

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

You can, apparently, use a bit of a liver as a transplant and, so it is claimed, genitalia have been offered for sale. However, kidney sales make up the bulk of the transactions.

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

Looks like we're having the disgraceful debate right here and now ... :disturbd:

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

Yes, well I've calmed down a bit since I posted the original message. :)

I probably shouldn't mention it with a Grauniadophobe such as yourself about, but today's Guardian supplement contains an article by a philosopher arguing in favour of the practice.

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

there is a flipside to this.........

a father has put a kidney up for sale on auction site ebay costing £50,000 so he can fund treatment for his sick 6 year old daughter who has cerebral palsy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/3290941.stm

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

Missed that, I got the Inde and the Tele to read this morning. The Grauniad should still be in the office in the morning so I might have a look. How on Earth was he defending it?

BTW Grauniadophobe? Not at all. I hold view Guardian with mild disdain, but I am not afraid of it. :D

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

Has anybody thought that maybe the whole point of the debate was just raise public awareness of the issue and not to set out a stance on it in any way.

Did the BMA support the idea of selling organs or were they against it ?

Was there an overall decision reached at the conclusion of the debate ?

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

:cry: :mis:
...the clinic should treat her for free or come to some sort of arrangement with him.

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

Hair has been sold for at least a thousand years....

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

The main points of the argument:

1) Hypocrisy. The surgeon gets paid. Others also get paid. The recipent receives a benefit in kind. So why not the donor? Well, I've been a blood donor for years, but I don't expect money for it.

2) An extremely well-regulated market with only one buyer, the NHS, and confined to a given area, eg the UK, and no exploitation of poor counties and their inhabitants. Fine sentiments, no doubt, but would they stand up to the pressures of the real world?

3) More hypocrisy in denying poor people the opportunity to sell one of their few salableable assets. Why stop there; in the Ancient World people could sell themselves into slavery - let's bring it back.

4) People would not be exploited if the prices were high enough. If such sales were legal then, in the present market-driven world prices would be inexorably forced down as the number of now legal donors increased. Government control of prices? With New Labour? You must be joking!

5) The feel-good factor. You donate an organ and you've just saved a life. Let me get this straight; you've just sold a part of your body to make ends meet and some sanctimonious, well-off character now attempts to make you feel better by telling you how good you are! I know where I think the hyprocrisy lies.

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

What would be better si if it was compulsary for everyone to donate organs......rather than selling them which in my view is unethical!

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

if you mean an 'opt out' scheme, rather than the present 'opt in' one, I entirely agree.:) - this could be discussed with family, etc, beforehand.

just a tip though - if you have the chance of any bits of me when I'm gone - avoid the liver;)

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

According to the Guardian it was to be a closed session. Whether a summary will be published, I don't know.

Re: A Disgraceful Debate
 

You are, of course, quite correct, which I realised when I read your comment. A slip of the pen on my part, as it were.