MPR: "Should organ donors be paid?"

[okarol]

MPR: "Should organ donors be paid?"

Broadcast: Midmorning, 11/21/2007, 9:06 a.m.
Minnesota Public Radio

Supporters of legalizing organ sales say individuals have a right to use their bodies as they wish, while opponents say truly voluntary consent is impossible and poor persons may be encouraged to sacrifice their health for money. All are concerned about the shortage of organs.
Guests

Arthur Matas: Professor of medicine and director of the renal transplant program at the University of Minnesota.

Amy Friedman: Transplant surgeon and professor of surgery at Yale University School of Medicine.

Francis Delmonico: Professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and president of the United Network for Organ Sharing board of directors.


   http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/11/21/midmorning1/
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The audio is now available for this at:

http://www.publicradio.org/tools/media/player/news/midmorning/2007/11/21_midmorn1 I strongly urge you to take the time to listen to this. Tremendous, articulate, passionate discussion.

[Hippy]

  Sure thing, nothing else has been working . The State Governments can regulate it as they regulate abortion clinics.  Money talks, BS walks.
With the new information about donors may lose health shows this is an important issue. Many potential good Samaritan donors will
not donate for this reason alone. That seems logical.
   I see no workable alternative for relieving the donor shortage than offering real incentives, just like any other shortage. This can be in many different forms
but what works best is money. Would we be getting many new medications if researchers weren't paid ? If the Pharm company investors didn't get a profit would they invest ?
   Would we have as many policemen if they only got a thank you and then denied health, life insurance ? Or does 40,000 a year help them assume
the risk ? Are paid donors the bad guys ?     "We have seen the enemy, and he is us."
    I can not imagine having the job of asking the mourning family of dead teen age accidents victims for the organs. I would rather vote for politicians making it legal
for donors to sell their kidney. 
   I think we are kidding ourselves to look elsewhere.