Sunday 16 May 2010

Wrong organ donation debate

Every few years the subject of organ donations crops up and we have a bit of a debate about it and then it goes back to how it was at the start of the debate with a person having to not only own a donor card but be carrying it about their person when they die.
As much as i dislike the idea of anyone removing bits of me during my trip from the mortuary to the grave, it seems very selfish to deny someone else the chance to live after we have died.
How much simpler it would be for the surgeons to assume consent and take what is needed rather than them having to break the sad news to a relative and ask them if they may remove their parts all in the space of the same breath.
From listening to the debates on the television, a feeling i do share, is not the actual act of removing the organs, but making sure you are dead in the first place.
Fair enough if you are involved in an accident and you arrive at the hospital in two separate ambulances, but otherwise the fear is you will either be 'hurried along' to throw off the mortal coil by waiting hospital staff hanging around like vultures or you would still not quite be ready to meet your maker when they get busy with the scalpel.
Rather than concentrate on the sympathy angle, they should absolutely guarantee that they would make sure a patient was completely stone cold dead 100% before wielding the knife because that's the reason people are concerned, not the act of organ donation itself and the debate will go around in circles forever until then.

5 comments:

The Ghost of Richard Nixon said...

I considered volunteering as a donor at one point. I consulted with doctors for hours about it. However, they claimed that there was no way they could transplant my Nixon Charm, and so I tossed the whole idea.

I think I made the right choice.

Falling on a bruise said...

Me also Richard but i know a few comedians that could do with your sense of humour being transplanted to them.

Cody Bones said...

I am a registered organ doner, I also volunteer at organ donation drives held in my community, I truly believe that it is one of the most important things that anyone can do with their lives. That being said, I am absolutely frightened to death to yield a fundamental right over my body to ANY government. I'm sorry Hanz, but this is a frightening scenario. Choices that are forced, are not choices at all.

Anonymous said...

i'm shocked by how many people own organs. they are big, heavy, and costly. that's why i went for a harmonica - small, light, and cheap...

q

Falling on a bruise said...

Cody - the problem is that they just don't get enough organs so rather than opt in where you have to have a donor card, they are debating an opt out scheme where you carry a card saying you DON'T want your organs used.
It is an emotive issue i agree.

Honk honk @ q.