| Section: | News |
| By: | MELISSA SIM, VINCENT LEOW, JOCELYN LEE, CHERYL TAN |
| Publication: | The Straits Times 04/02/2007 |
| Page: | 4 |
| No. of words: | 700 |
SINGAPOREANS are against changing the law to allow organs to be bought and sold here.
In a Sunday Times poll of 200 people aged 17 to 72, about seven in 10 said "no" when asked if the country should lift its ban on organ trading.
The No. 1 reason: It's just not right to allow parts of the human body to be transacted like any other commodity.
The minority who were for such a change felt, understandably, that it would help save more lives.
But even within this group, the bulk or 81 per cent, felt that checks and balances in the form of government regulation would be necessary. This will forestall a free-for-all situation where organs go to the highest bidder, leaving the poor with nothing.
The survey reflects the ground sentiment on a debate which has been raging over the last two weeks.
It was sparked by a Forum letter in The Straits Times written by director of the National Neuroscience Institute Lee Wei Ling.
Dr Lee had argued that there was nothing wrong in incentivising a potential living donor with money, provided a competent doctor has first determined that there were no health risks. The end result, she said, is still another life saved.
Currently, living transplants are mostly between relatives – where money is not likely to have changed hands – though non-relatives can be considered. In both cases, the Transplant Ethics Committee of the hospital gives the go-ahead.
The Human Organ Transplant Act also allows for the removal of the kidney, liver, heart and cornea from non-Muslim Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs) who have died.
Those who want the law on organ trading changed feel that it would mean a bigger supply of organs to better meet the needs of patients.
There were a total of 85 kidney transplants – from dead and living donors – performed on Singaporeans and PRs last year.
As at Jan 26 this year, there were 543 end-stage renal patients on the waiting list for kidneys, though this was down from a peak of 673 in 2003.
But for Singaporeans like trainee teacher Karen Thiang, organs are "sacred" and not meant to be traded, good intentions notwithstanding. "You can't put a price on them," said the 33-year-old.
Others who don't buy the argument are equally wary about a situation where organs go to the highest bidder, leading to escalating prices which would preclude the poor.
So even if organ trading is legalised, the state should preferably be the sole buyer, while giving a helping hand to the poor, they said.
"A system of subsidies and incentives would be an effective way to increase supply and ensure that patients who can't afford it are not deprived of the opportunity of a transplant," said undergraduate Chew Yun Zhi.
Dr Lam Pin Min, an ophthalmologist and a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Health, said the relevant government agencies can set strict rules and regulations to determine the priority of organ recipients.
They can also decide the amount of "compensation" for donors because of "extra pain and discomfort" they undergo and "downtime" post-surgery.
Commenting on the survey results, MP Halimah Yacob, who heads the Health GPC, said it showed the dilemma faced by Singaporeans who recognise that organ sales could save lives but feel a natural revulsion towards the idea.
"This means that Singaporeans are not yet ready to deal with the issues that arise from organ trading, particularly the ethical considerations," she said.
"It is difficult for the Government to move ahead of people's values and norms and allow organ trading."
The Health Ministry added that it was not surprised by the survey results.
"Ethically, it is indeed very hard to accept organs as a commodity that can be bought and sold, as the possibilities of abuse and profiteering are tremendous.
"While ethical boundaries do change with time and public sentiments, we would need to study the implications of organ trading carefully. More importantly, society as a whole needs to discuss the issue openly. We welcome the debate."
Additional reporting by Jocelyn Lee & Cheryl Tan
simlinoi@sph.com.sg
leowmc@sph.com.sg
'You can't attach a value to how much an organ is worth. If I smoke, it's worth $5,000; if I don't, it's worth $10,000? I don't think that's right.'
– JUNIOR COLLEGE STUDENT TAN GUANG LING, 18
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