|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Organic Market The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) highlights on their website that there are over 91,000 people waiting for organ donations. UNOS is an NGO that, under contract to HHS, administers the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) established by Congress to facilitate the organ matching and placement process. As the statistics on UNOS's website make clear, there is serious shortage of organs for donation. To help alleviate the situation, two US doctors have written in Kidney International suggesting that the sale of organs should be legalized and regulated. The physicians explained that current efforts to increase the pool of donors was failing and that there is a booming black market in the sale of organs such as kidneys. According to the authors, "Although illegal in most nations, and viewed as unethical by professional medical organisations, the voluntary sale of purchased donor kidneys now accounts for thousands of black market transplants." As reported by the BBC, the "doctors suggested a figure of about £23,000 for a kidney, with an agency being set up to regulate the market." Winston understands that there are reasoned, ethical objections to allowing the sale of organs. He also understands that a black-market in organs is among the worst possible situations while the efficiencies from a properly regulated marketplace have the potential to save many lives. Winston is not taking a position on legalizing the sale of organs but he does encourage all of his readers to make their wishes known regarding organ donation. Visit the ShareYourLife.org website to learn how to become an organ and tissue donor.
|
|
