Shortage of Organ Donors

[AB Editor]

As the country has a shortage of those willing to donate organs upon their death should the country adopt a different donation policy?

 

This poll is closed.

Should the Organ Donation System Be Changed?

• Yes, an "opt-out" system should be imposed. - 31 votes
• 61%
• No, the current system is fine. - 12 votes
• 24%
• A "Opt-In" system which excludes those not registered for organ donation from receiving organ donations themselves if preferable. - 8 votes
• 16%

See final stats

Stats until: 18:45 Tue 03rd Dec 2024 (Refreshed every 5 minutes)

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[AB Editor]

Hi everyone,

Inspired by a thread from last Friday - sorry we're slow off the mark!

All the best,

Spare Ed

[jno]

actually, a system where you didn't have to wait for the donor to die would be best. Just take a saw and grab someone healthy-looking off the street.

[joggerjayne]

Well, the Chinese forcefully remove organs from living Falun Gong practitioners.

It may not be approved of universally, but it's a solution of sorts.

[tamborine]

How to be sure am not being 'morphined' off for my trusting heart?

[boro1986]

Im sorry but my organs belong to me dead or not NO government has a right to take them

[LoftyLottie]

It should be an opt in system. Our organs belong to us we should not have to make any effort to ensure they are not taken by having to opt out. There will be people who will forget to opt out and those who really don't want to think about it and those who don't have the capacity to think it through. And there will be grieving friends and relatives who won't be able to cope with organs being taken from a loved one. I find it absolutely dreadful at the thought of an opt out system.

This should not be anything to do with the Government.

[Sqad]

lofty....yes, whilst alive, your organs are doing you a favour.

Could you tell me what favours they are doing you after you have expired?

[LoftyLottie]

Sqad, that is not the point. I reserve the right to have done with my body what I want, not what the government tells me I HAVE to do unless I opt out. Opting in as fine. I did not say I don't agree with organ donation or that I wouldn't donate mine. I probably would (I haven't made the decision yet whether or not to) but if it would upset my family then I wouldn't.

Bit like the TV Licencing Authority. They assume you have a television and threaten you with court action if you don't have a licence, unless you prove to them that you haven't. The onus should be on us to let the authorities know these things.

Silly comparison probably, but you hopefully will understand what I mean.

[Sqad]

lofty my darling, I do know what you mean.

Opting in, doesn't and hasn't worked.....too many children and young adults dying for want of an organ. One can let those people keep on dying on a daily basis or one can do something about it. Opting out is one way, but lofty, can you think of another.

Personally, I would not like to think that my organs were burning or being buried and rotting, whilst children and young adults were dying daily.

[36TEAK36]

I personally would be ok with the opt out system, but it would only have to be if my organs were to be transplanted to another person. My worry would be that this system could be abused and my organs could end up on some students desk to be disected in the name of science, which i would not be happy about.

[LoftyLottie]

No, I can't t hink of another. But I can't bring myself to agree with an opting out system - and I think it will cause problems because of the reasons I mention above. What about people with mental handicaps, who will make decisions for them?

I know it's a problem, but to be honest (and I am being honest) I don't know whether I would want a transplant myself.

[mrs_overall]

I feel very strongly abou this one as one of my sisters is on dialysis and has been on the transplant list for ages. We've all been tested as live donors but none of us are a match. She is dying before our eyes.
It galls me that at the hospital she attends there are a large number of ethnic minorities who have received transplants, but state that their religion prevents them from donating.
I've got some statistics to hand. In 2006 in the UK there NO Asian donors, yet dozens received transplants.
If you are not prepared to donate, then you shouldn't be allowed to receive.

[LoftyLottie]

Could I stipulate what sort of person I wanted my organs to go to?!!!

[Sqad]

lofty....OK you would not want a transplant.

Now ...your son or your grandson needed a transplant and you were of the opinion of opting in, rather than opting out. Would you expect your kindred to receive a transplant to save their lives?

[Mustardmit]

I have a donor card, it says "in the event of my death, I would like someone to have my kebab"

[society]

"How to be sure am not being 'morphined' off for my trusting heart? "

"Im sorry but my organs belong to me dead or not NO government has a right to take them"

I agree with both statements above.

Sqad, I always wondered "if the body is dead, how come, or why aren't the organs not dead?"

[Androcles]

Does anyone really trust bureacrats to set up a system where you can be sure that you will not "helped along" as they need a nice juicy kidney or two in a hurry? Or have even actually gone?

I can see them now, standing in the intensive care unit, chanting "Switch it off, switch it off - we have done a calculation and the cost of maintaining this patient alive is too high relative to the value of having his organs available for transplant, in the current financial climate."

[Sqad]

soc....the organs are taken before a death which is deemed to be inevitable.

There are medico legal requirements to define death which are strictly adhered to.

soc...if you or your family needed a transplant, would you accept it?

[Sqad]

Androcles....LOL....that God your are not in the Medical profession, but your point is well taken.

[society]

Sqad, all my family members wishes are to let them 'go' when their times have come. i too feel the same about me.