COMMERCIALIZATION OF ORGAN TRANSPLANT

Introduction

Organ transplant is a medical process transfer of an organ from a dead or a living person to a patient in dire need for that particular organ. The common organs transplants are kidney and bone marrow transplant. Commercialization of organ transplant is the sale of organs for monetary gain. The United States has registered death of thousands of patients every year. This has attributed to scarcity of organs for transplant. The major sources of organs for transplant have often been obtained from relatives who are alive and are willing to donate. There are also those who have obtained from the deceased patients in the form of gifts. However, these sources have proved inadequate to supply the large number of patients who are in need. An alternative to supplement these sources is the commercialization of human organs which has been illegal in the United States since 1984 when it was banned as a result of the approval of The National Organ Transplantation Act, (Property rights…n.d)

Sale of the body organs is the best approach to reduce shortages of organs for transplant although it may not be morally acceptable. The benefits of commercializing body organs for transplant outweigh the moral and philosophical alarm. If system could be implemented to regulate the commercialization of human organs through legalization, it is expected that challenges with the immoral sale of living human organs can be solved. The already existing waiting list for patients to undergo organ transplant would be used to estimate the number of organs required and obtain the organs from the sellers. This process would ensure that informed consent forms are filled and signed, medical examination done for individual people with the intention of selling their organs and ensuring that the whole process is unknown to both parties,(Ethical incentives …n.d)

This will replace the weighting list with a list of willing sellers therefore doing away with the cost of sustaining patients in the hospital as they wait for organs for transplant as well as reducing deaths, which may have resulted from lack of organs for transplant. The payment to the donor in exchange with the organ will bring down the philosophical risk of troubling a healthy body. The law prohibits sale of parts of human body. However, a willing individual can only sale his or her organs to the patients in dire need, which is morally acceptable and enhance the spirit of care to the need and les privileged in the community.

Certain tissues such as sperm, eggs and Blood plasma have often been transferred from willing people to those in need at a pay without many objections from the society. This should apply even to the other body organs, more than 400 blood banks exist in the united states with a lot being exported thereby earning the country billions of dollars. This business in the exportation of blood which has been viewed positively by the society is an indication that commercialization of body organs could also work well, (Property rights…n.d)

The illegal existent of black market in human organs has only benefited middlemen while exploiting willing donors who even risk their lives in questionable health facilities. This will be done much better if the process is legalized and the willing donors operated in approved health facilities and good money paid to them in compensation. According to Ackerman the free donation of body organs at times could discourage donors thinking that their organs would just be sold to benefit others .On the other hand paying for these organs could motivate donors to volunteer thus reducing deaths and the waiting list in hospitals.

Critics of commercialization of organ transplant base their augments on the fact that it will be burdensome to the recipient since all the resources will be taken in the event that the recipient is unable to pay for the transplant. It will also be unfair for the donor to ask for a large sum of money in order to donate to a patient with a rare type of blood. However, if commercialization system is put in place and legalized, a fixed payment system would eliminate the exploitation. Many issues have emerged regarding the quality of organs. In most cases, is assumed that, the sellers will supply poor quality organs and the vendors would likely be at risk. However thorough testing and screening would ensure that only high quality organs are used in transplant thus protecting both the vendors and the recipients, (Commercialization…n.d)

According to Brassard (1996), legalization of the sale of organs would lower the number of unselfish donation. A belief also exists that that commercialization of organs can be voluntary because the motivation for this is monetary gain and not altruism therefore contrasting human ethics. An argument has it that sale of human body organs would influence involvement in criminal activities such as physical coercion and kidnapping serious crimes that will lead to injuries and even death of victims. Commercialization of body parts will only benefit the rich and exploit the poor and the less fortunate in the society. This is because the poor people are seen to have no alternative but to accept the little offered to them. Philosophers’ principles such as Thomas Aquinas’s principles affirm that it is morally unacceptable to eliminate a healthy body part. This is irrespective of whether the organ is sold for monetary exchange or willingly donated for free. The philosophy of happiness supports the sale of body parts for at the end of the process; both the vendor and the recipient would benefit and form a happy society. According to Mills’ philosophy, the commercialization of organs has no effects to other people, (Property rights…n.d)

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clearly evident that the commercialization of the acquisition of organ for transplant has advantages, which by far ought weigh the disadvantages. However, the aspect may change if only the legal procedures are put in place and the market is regulated through strict quality assurance and control to ensure that all parties involved in the process obtain their fair share of benefits. Philosophy of utilitarianism explains the fact that at the end of organ transplantation process from commercially acquired organs, both the vendor of the organs and the recipient will benefit and live a happy life.

References

Brassard, E. (1996). Body for sale: an inside look at medical research, drug testing, and organ transplants & how you can profit from them. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press.

Commercialization of human organs for transplantation: a view from South Africa. (n.d.) NCBI.

Retrieved November 1, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15887622

Property Rights in Organs –An argument for commoditization of the body (n.d.) Erepository.law.shu.edu. Retrieved November 1, 2013, from http://erepository.law.shu.edu/cgi/