Organ Donation Should Not Be Compensated
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The demand for body organs to replace faulty ones has increased rapidly, making patients waiting in line desperately. The medical transplant teams have also been hit with the disadvantage of having to work extra hours and increase their work time due to a large number of clients (Andorno, 2017). The shortage caused by increased demand may influence organ donors to do so purely for monetary gain. This essay will provide an explanation of why organ donations of any body part should not be compensated.
According to Andorno (2017), the high demand for organs would lead to the increase in kidnappings for organ harvesting in the event that compensation of these organs would be made official. There is already a considerably high number of kidnappings and trafficking of humans and organs; if the compensation of donors was to be made legal, the high demand would even shoot the prices upwards, thus, making the access of these organs only for the extremely rich and wealthy (Columb, 2019). There is an ever-increasing number of lifestyle diseases that bring their fair share of the need for organ transplants. This rising need for organs has increased the waiting time for patients in the line to get organs; allowing the compensation of donors would allow wealthier patients to pay higher, thus increasing the need in less wealthy individuals, who would turn to illegal ways in their quest to score a body part.
The exploitation of donors is also an issue that would be pertinent in the event that compensation was allowed. Additionally, this exploitation would also be in the form of lack of proper formation or consent by withholding critical information on the risks of undergoing surgery. This means that they may be exposed to a risky surgical process without their full knowledge; illnesses and diseases may result later due to a poorly done process, and death may occur in some instances. (Columb, 2019)
References
Andorno, R. (2017). Buying and selling organs: Issues of commodification, exploitation and human dignity. Journal of trafficking and human exploitation, 1(2), 119-127.
Columb, S. (2019). Organ trafficking: Transplant tourism and trafficking in persons for the removal of organs. The Sage Handbook of Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery, 155-173.