Redirecting Human Organs to the Third World
The latest edition of The Lancet reports on an organ transplantation scandal from Germany.
A transplant surgeon, for the moment known only as Aiman O., diverted human livers for transplantation from Germany to Jordan and Oman. He also gave false addresses in Germany to Jordanian patients so that they might receive transplants in Germany.
The Lancet does not report Aiman O.’s motives, whether pecuniary (as seems most likely) or otherwise. But an important aspect of the scandal is that the authorities in Germany were alerted to the surgeon’s activities seven years before they acted to curb them, by which time a further 20 cases had come to light. Public trust in oversight of the German transplant system has plummeted.
But what exactly was wrong with Aiman O.’s conduct, assuming that as many people’s lives have been saved by it as if he had obeyed the rules laid down by the German law?
There are, after all, those who believe that there ought to be a market in human organs: that livers, kidneys, etc., ought to go to the highest bidder. But they probably also believe in an open market, not a restricted one such as that in which Aiman O. operated (if, that is, he operated in one at all). He would have been, in effect, insider trading.
What’s wrong? One word: Organleggers.
One important issue should be to examine to what extent the “harvesting” was conducted in publicly funded facilities using public funds. If so, then a major break of faith has occurred. Presumably, taxes are paid for such things for the general welfare of the taxpayers, who do not include foreigners. It would not matter if the recipients were from Jordan or from New York!
I’m curious as to what Islam has to say about the sanctity of the bodies of the Faithful and how that applies to their DONATION of organs. Are they all take and no give? (Come to that, what is the position of Orthodox Judaism on it? Are they as opposed to it as they are to their own children being required to share the burden of protecting Israel?)
Organ donation has been a controversial issue for Jewish rabbis. As a result, organ transplantation was relatively uncommon in Israel until recently. Many Israeli patients were forced to travel to other countries to get organ transplants.
Gradually a majority consensus has developed that it’s permissible to donate organs, provided that the funeral and burial of the body are still done according to Jewish law. Meaning that it must still be possible to bury the body quickly.
With this emerging consensus and new legislation, organ transplantation has now increased in Israel.
But there is still a minority view among some Jewish rabbis–particularly the ultra-orthodox ones–that organ donation is forbidden.
The people who REALLY THINK all lives are of equal value go to Calcutta and set up hospitals for the poor and dying, as did mother Theresa. The people who TALK A LOT about how all lives are of equal value are well-off westerners who merely wish to displays their “progressive” credentials.
It’s the same folks who buy 5th generation Iphones which are made by Chinese working in, essentially, slavery conditions — so they could get instant updates on the go about where the next “support human rights” rock concert is taking place.
My viewpoint may be simplistic, but doesn’t it come down to property rights or lack thereof? I would no more send a kidney to the spawn of Osama bin Laden than I would send a check. OK, Jordan isn’t Afghanistan, but the point is the same… the donor or the donor’s family should have a say. When the choice is taken away, how far are we really from the random knock on the door where we are told Uncle Barack needs your “extra” kidney?
Interesting question.
I did a little research on the situation in the United States. Here, organ distribution is handled by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
A quick look at their records does not indicate any organs sent outside the US.
http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/latestData/rptData.asp
How big a scandal would this have been if a German doctor had been operating in the third world and sending organs intended for there back to Germany? Every “progressive” would’ve been calling for his head. Yet in this case the doctor’s activities were ignored for years because of his minority status. I’d argue equal treatment is one of the biggest issues here.
“German organ donors (or their relatives) might complain that the surgeon had broken faith with them: they had intended that the organs be used to save their fellow countrymen. But this objection is itself open to the objection that donors have no say as to the required characteristics of the recipients”
Why? Is that an axiom, a law of nature, or, perhaps, a divine edict? What makes it such an unquestioned truth?
To be blunt, it is the donor’s kidney. He is under no obligation to give it to anyone. That is why it is called a donation and not an organ tax. And since it IS a voluntary donation, the donor has every right to set any conditions he wants. He can stipulate that his kidney can only go to an anti-Semitic blue-eyed blonde with four generations of Arian pedigree. Of course, an organ bank can refuse such a donation because of conditions attached to it, with the full knowledge that the next death of some evil homicidal blond German in need of a kidney is on its hands. Which might not be a bad thing by itself, but which should still make that doctor’s morning shave somewhat uncomfortable.
All my life the government has taken my substance and given it to schvartzes.
Have read some deeply bone chilling reports on organ harvesting in the PRC. It seems the prisoners really don’t like it when a doctor orders a blood test. it means someone is going to chop out their liver.