Organ Donation Arguments

Introduction

The moral permissibility of a market for live organ donation is a complex and context-dependent issue. In the UK alone “three people die every day waiting for an organ transplant”, and worldwide there are an estimated 700,000 patients on dialysis. There is irrefutable evidence that the demand for organs largely outstrips that of supply. This shortage has fuelled a destructive black market involving organ trafficking and transplant tourism. Proponents of a market for live organ donation argue that purchasing organs, is not only morally permissible but that it would be an effective solution to tackle the shortage of organs and the black market this shortage creates. This essay will argue against such claims. Even well-regulated markets

That is, we should permit people selling their kidneys if it made people better off. In no uncertain terms the recipient would absolutely be much better off – but for the seller this is no certainty. What are the health risks? Are you worse off in terms of health afterwards? If the procedure is carried out in a state of the art hospital, then the risk is in fact very low, as low as some risky professions that we do permit like a deep-sea diving. If we merely appeal to outcomes then so long as we can check whether the people are being rational when they’re making the decision to sell their kidney, we would expect it to be good all-round. However, it is not the case that humans are entirely rational, (BEHAVIOURAL) and what about developing countries who perhaps lack adequate healthcare or after-care facilities? The absolute position, put forth by market proponents: that buying internal body parts from informed, voluntary and autonomous sellers is morally permissible is highly

One reason there’s a shortage of transplantable kidneys is that living donors are not always able to give their kidneys to person they want to because of biological reasons; loved ones for example. Kidney exchange implemented worldwide would provide an opportunity for exchange to occur. Finally, in regard to tackling black market issues legal avenues could be sought. For example, laws could be enacted that would hold doctors accountable for not reporting suspected organ trafficking. Currently, doctors would be violating doctor-patient privilege, their legal obligation to the patient is superseded by public interest in ending alleged medical violations of human rights. If accountability measures were imposed, doctors would be liable as accomplices if they knowingly performed operations with black market