Contemporary Issue of Human Organs Selling - Essay Example

Sale of Human Organs Currently, a number of never-ending diseases destroy human organs. As a result, the human body is not in a position to function optimally. This has led to far-reaching actions, which include organ transplant. The most prevalent organ transplant is kidney transplantation. At times, individuals find it hard to function with malfunctioning organs. As a result, they may need help from other healthy individuals, who have functional organs. However, this issue is surrounded with controversies. While some people are in support of marketing human organs for sale, other individuals feel it is morally wrong to start selling human organs. Scientifically, humans can still survive after donating body organs, since the body adapts to the situation (Cherry, 2005:11). For example, an individual can survive by using a single kidney after donating the other. In the past, individuals have been donating body organs without financial motivation. This is where individuals willingly donate some of their body organs to the needy people, as they feel the suffering individuals need the organs. However, the scarcity of willing donors has led to initiation of motivators to enhance the willingness to donate the body organs. This has led to marketing donation of body organs, since the people that need the organs have the financial muscle to motivate the donors. Although this is a sound decision to many people, a number of concerns are brought forward. First, there is a large gap between the poor and the utterly rich in the United Kingdom. The poor people have a hard time fending for their basic needs, as they have limited resources. On the other hand, the rich in the society have colossal resources, in which most of the resources are spent on making life better through entertainment and leisure. When looking at the two scenarios, the rich can comfortably support any of their endeavours, as they have the financial muscle. On the other hand, the poor people will find it hard to fend for such endeavours, as they have economic and financial constraints. When linking the situation to organ sale, the poor people in the society will have a hard time accessing such organs. In the recent past, the poor people have benefited through the willing donation of body organs. However, when the sale of human organs is prevalent, they will find it extremely difficult to get assistance from willing donors (Chia and National Council of Churches of Singapore, 2009:9). The information about sale of organs will be relayed in many parts of the United Kingdom, which will change the perception of people on the issue of donating body organs. For example, many people across the United Kingdom will discover it is a way of enhancing their economic and financial status. Therefore, any donor will expect financial and economic return after offering the kidney. Under such circumstances, the poor people will succumb to the illnesses, as they will find little or no help at all. On the other hand, the rich in the society will benefit from the sale of organs, as they will seek the organs with higher price tags (Perrin, 2010:12). This will bring controversies, as the poor people will feel the pain of lacking economic and financial resources. At times, the compatibility of organs from one individual to another person is not perfect. Biologically, the organ transfer needs two individuals with commonality. At time, finding an individual with commonality and compatibility is hard. This leads to a queer situation, where willing donors are not legible to donate the organs to the people in dire need. In some instances, medical practitioners locate an individual with organs that are compatible with the needy individual (Mishra, 2013:11). This is a risky situation, as it may lead to desperate measures. When looking at organ transfers, some situations of kidnappings and forceful donation have been recorded. Needy individuals feel the desperate need to have organs to replace their destroyed organs. After noting an individual who is compatible, they are hell-bent on finding the organs. It may occur that the demands of an individual are not met. For example, an individual may make colossal financial demands to give an organ. However, due to underlying situations, the donating individuals may consider botching the agreement of donating the organs (Cullen-DuPont, 2009:14). Since the needy people are desperate, they may kidnap the individuals to forcefully give the organs. This may lead to an increase in kidnapping incidences, as the people in need may propagate the kidnappings. In extreme circumstances, this may lead to death of the victims, as the process may be forceful with immense coercion to give the organs. This is controversial to humanity, as all the people in the United Kingdom have a right to life. Similarly, they have human rights, which should be respected (Satz, 2010:7). Consequentially, statistics show that the consent rate in the United Kingdom stands at an average of 60%. This shows that some people are forced into donating their body organs to other people without their willingness to do so. In many instances, the law may find individuals guilty of committing heinous crimes. Some of these crimes include murder, homicide and genocide. When these individuals are convicted, they are often put on a death row sentence. Apparently, some of the individuals on death row sentence have functional and healthy organs, which can be used by other individuals with destroyed and malfunctioning organs this is mostly done after brain stem death, where an individual is announced dead, but there is still blood circulation (Taylor, 2005:9). Legalizing and marketing the sale of body organs may have an effect on the lives of people on death row sentence. Since the convicted individuals have functional organs, some people may feel the need to exploit the opportunity to take the organs of such convicts (Watkins, 2013:15). This may lead to hastening the execution of the convicts, as there is an urgent need for some of their organs. It should be noted that at times, the death row victims may be legible for parole after serving the jail term for a stipulated period. Therefore, hastening the execution of such convicts with an ostensible reason of using their organs is morally wrong. When the context of using the organs of convicts is not in question, the death row victims may serve their jail terms for long, and be legible for parole after a period. However when they are killed prematurely, justice may not be served. As fact, some of the death row victims may have pending court cases, after appealing on the judgment of the case. Therefore, legalizing and marketing the sale of human organs may have a dire consequence on some people, as the needy people may feel the urgency to find a replacement (Sharp, 2007:18). On one side, the sale of organs will be beneficial to the people that need the organs. However, on the other side, it will be injustice to people that are coerced and forcefully induced into giving the organs. Over the past few years, there have been incidences where people are moved from one place to another country, with an ostensible reason of donating their body organs. In many instances, the donor willingly travels from their abodes to give the organs to the people writhing in pain. This is acceptable, since the individuals involved have mutual consent. However, a problem may arise, especially when unscrupulous people find the opportunity to start trading in the sale of body organs. It has been noted that same people find opportunities in negotiation sale of organs. They act as middlemen, who negotiate with other people who are willing to offer their body organs for sale (Territo and Matteson, 2012:17). At times, finding the people that are willing to offer their body organs to other people for financial gain is hard. As such, the unscrupulous businessmen find it hard to continue with their businesses. In such situations, they may be forced to engage in illegal transportation of people for material gain. This is after they forcefully engage the victims to donate their organs. This may lead to increased illegal migration of people, as the ostensible reason is to find body organs to support other people in hospitals. The greed by many people surpasses the humanity, which may lead to an increase in illegal trade of selling body organs. This may lead to many people suffering, as some unscrupulous people may enhance the illegal trade of selling organs. Therefore, the marketing and sale of body organs may lead to an increase in illegal activities. To evidently prove this phenomenon, a recent survey in concern to transfer of organs had several findings. First, most of the organ transfers were in the “for-profit” market (United Nations, 2007:11). Therefore, most of the people involved in donating kidneys and other body organs are motivated by the need for funds. Secondly, it was noted that most of the donors were foreigners. Further statistics show that most of the donors were illiterate. This shows that most of the donors do not have the actual information in concern to the situation. Illiterate people hardly understand the situation, implications and consequences of donating their organs (Fisanick, 2010:16). For example, they hardly focus on the aftermath of donating an organ, but rather focus on the immediate benefits. The study further shows that the United Kingdom recorded over 1, 300 deaths of organ donors. Similarly, it is noted that most of the donors recorded a decline in their health status. The marketing and sale of human organs is a prudent approach, especially when there is an increase in complex and chronic diseases that affect the human body organs. It is noted that every country needs an increase in kidney transfers. This is evidently seen through focus on the shortage of kidneys and other human body organs. According to statistics in the United Kingdom, over 8, 000 people are waiting for organ transplants. Consequentially, over 3, 000 people die every year due to complications while waiting for organ transplant. This has worsened the situation, as there is a greater need to improve on the issue of organ transplanting (Feinschreiber, 2004:13). Statistics have shown that over 3, 700 organs were transplanted in the United Kingdom in 2009. This is a move to save the lives of people that are suffering due to malfunctioning of their organs. Although this is a large number, it is not sufficient to help the many people that are suffering, as it is estimated that thousands people need organ transplant, as they are suffering from renal diseases in their final stages. For instance, in the United Kingdom in 2013, over 6, 000 kidneys were transplanted. This shows an increase in the number of people that need transplants every year. It is noted that adding a single donation to all the centres in the country will create equilibrium between the donors and the needy. This is where the donors are equal to the people that need the organs. After equilibrium is reached, the number of people in need of organs will reduce significantly (Yammarino and Dansereau, 2006:11). However, for this to happen there is a need to motivate the donors. When donors are given financial motivators, they will feel the need to enhance the donation. This will solve the situation, as many of the people in need of the donations will be given. Consequentially, there will be a need to prevent the occasions that lead to malfunctioning of the organs. When there is immense protection of the situations, the people in need of donations will reduce. Altruism is the situation where individuals make decision for the well-being of others. Organ transplanting and donation can be linked to altruism, where other people make decisions while focusing on the needs of other people. This is a humane way of ensuring other people have a better life, since some people have the ability to support them (Guido, 2010:10). For example, some of the greatest leaders have been diagnosed with organ failures. In most cases, these leaders have the financial muscle to help in getting another organ. However, in many cases, they feel it is inappropriate to buy organs, since it is not morally approved. Consequentially, when the country approves the sale of some organs, some of the lives will be saved. Similarly, the sale of organs will limit the suffering of many people. For example, some patients have to go through dialysis, which is a painful ordeal. In conclusion, the sale of organs is a prudent approach in the United Kingdom. However a number of controversies have been noted. For example, it may lead to illegal trade involving organs. Similarly, it may lead to forced donation of organs. On the other hand, it will help many people who are willing to give financial motives for better life. References Cherry, M.J. (2005) Kidney for sale by owner: human organs, transplantation, and the market, Washington, Georgetown University Press. Chia, R. & National Council of Churches of Singapore. (2009) The ethics of human organ trading, Singapore: Jointly published by Genesis Books and National Council of Churches of Singapore. Cullen-DuPont, K. (2009) Human trafficking, New York, NY, Facts On File. Feinschreiber, R. (2004) Transfer pricing methods: an applications guide, Hoboken, N.J: J. Wiley. Fisanick, C. (2010) Is selling body parts ethical? Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press. Guido, G.W. (2010) Legal & ethical issues in nursing, Boston, Pearson. Mishra, V. (2013) Human trafficking: the stakeholders perspective, New York, sage. Perrin, B. (2010) Invisible chains: Canadas underground world of human trafficking, Toronto, Viking Canada. Satz, D. (2010) Why some things should not be for sale: the moral limits of markets, New York, Oxford University Press. Sharp, L.A. (2007) Bodies, commodities, and biotechnologies: death, mourning, and scientific desire in the realm of human organ transfer, New York, Columbia University Press. Taylor, J.S. (2005) Stakes and kidneys: why markets in human body parts are morally imperative, Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate Pub. Territo, L. & Matteson, R. (2012) The international trafficking of human organs: a multidisciplinary perspective, Boca Raton, Fla: Taylor & Francis. United Nations. (2007) Good governance practices for the protection of human rights, New York, United Nations. Watkins, C. (2013). Is selling body parts ethical? Detroit, Greenhaven Press. Yammarino, F.J. & Dansereau, F. (2006) Multi-level issues in social systems, Amsterdam, Elsevier JAI. Read More