Why organs are for sale

[okarol]

 EDITORIAL
TheStar.com | comment | Why organs are for sale

 Feb 09, 2008 04:30 AM

A total of 1,651 people in Ontario are waiting for an organ donation. On average, one person dies while waiting every three days. But the answer to the problem isn't buying illegal organs in Third-World countries like India.

Still, desperate patients, including some from Canada who don't care how the organs are obtained, have turned to a thriving underground market run by operators like Brampton-based Dr. Amit Kumar, arrested in Nepal this week, who is alleged to be the kingpin in an illegal kidney trafficking ring in India.

It is not only illegal in Canada to buy and sell organs, it is also dangerous. Few precautions are taken in developing countries with the health of donors. And while India and other countries need tougher laws and better education to crack down on the illegal organ trade, Canadians could also make a contribution.

Statistics show Canada has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the world, with 13 donors per million people, compared with 20 per million in the United States. Only half of Ontario families who are approached after the death of a relative agree to donate their organs. Ontario, to its credit, has pledged $4 million to improve the odds of donation, including reimbursing living donors for lost wages, travel and out-of-pocket expenses up to about $5,500.

While living donors are becoming increasingly important, most organ donations still come from the deceased. That's why it is important to sign an organ donor card and discuss it with family. Just signing a card is not enough. Even with a signed card in hand, families have the right to refuse a hospital request for an organ transplant.

"We want this to be about altruism and about caring for other people," says Frank Markel, head of the provincial organ transplant agency. "We want to make this a positive experience where people are contributing to their community after they die." Let us all do our part.

http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/301855