Wiping Kidney Dialysis right off the map.
One country has eliminated a shortage of transplant kidneys, by creating system to pay kidney donors, and (I’m about to link to a Cato Institute report, ready? Here we go…), it’s apparently working. That country is Iran.
The Iranian system works through a volunteer organization and is “highly standardized and regulated with only modest room for negotiation.” I like to imagine this negotiation with the Iranian practice of T’aarof , where it is only polite to turn down any offer of payment at least two or three times, with the expectation that the other party will insist. I’d like to buy a kidney and get a free carpet thrown in.
At least 70% of the kidney donors participating in this program are impoverished, which has led to cries of coercion, which the Cato report writes off a bit too quickly. The author of this report writes: “Voluntariness is antithetical to the concept of coercion, and an offer cannot be coercive if the relationship is initiated by the person in danger of being coerced.” Tell that to child prostitutes or child soldiers who “volunteer” for service because of the lack of other economic options open to them. However, the Iranian system does provide safeguards, which we could learn a lot more about if there was more open exchange between Iranians and Americans.
The basic recommendation of the report is plausible: repeal section 301 of the National Organ Transplant Act. I would add that we must immediately put market safeguards in place, and not allow the market experimentation this report calls for. The black market exists, we might as well get it under control. Legalize it! Support fair trade organ farming! And start talking to Iran. Because I might need this guy’s kidney one day.
Also, and unrelated, check out this map of Pirates!
About The Author - I was a librarian and now I write books. I used to write about children and now I am writing about Jews. I'm also working on an NGO that helps connect children to each other across cultural, geographic, political, religious, and military divides. - Visit Charles's site.
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Hi. I am a long time reader. I wanted to say that I like your blog and the layout.
Peter Quinn
Allowing people to sell organs would save thousands of lives every year. Unfortunately, there is no reason to think Congress will legalize this in the foreseeable future.
Fortunately, there is an already-legal way to put a big dent in the organ shortage — allocate donated organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die. The United Network for Organ Sharing, which manages the national organ allocation system, has the power to make this simple policy change. No legislative approval is required.
Americans who want to donate their organs to other registered organ donors don’t have to wait for UNOS to act. They can join LifeSharers, a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at http://www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition.
Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren’t willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.