Should Organ Sales Be Legalized?

Million people worldwide require transplantation of organs that can save them from death. The official medical system promotes volunteer donations of organs and exploits the bodies of the deceased. Patients are included in waiting lists and have to wait for operations for a long time; consequently, sometimes their organs turn down, and they die. Meanwhile, the black market is full of offers, and rich people can afford heart, livery, boy marrow, and other options. The two problems concerning deaths and crime related to transplantation could be solved through the legalization and commercialization of the process that is rejected by the medical community due to ethical reasons.

The controversial issue concerning the legalization of sale organs is widely debated In her article, with people claiming that it is immoral. In her article Organ Sales, Will Save Lives Joanna MacKay points out that in the USA, over 350 000 people suffer from kidney failure that cannot be cured. Kidneys cannot be bought officially, and waiting lists take time; some patients do not have organs purchased on the black market (MacKay, 2004). The sources of illegal organs are not clarified, and human beings can be killed for the sake of money; consequently, crime is promoted.

Unlike the illegal business, legalized organ sales would be profitable for patients, donors, and the government:

1. More organs would become available, and more people would stay alive.
2. Donors would earn money, and poverty issues could be partially solved. MacKay (2004) claims that some individuals are ready to sell their kidneys for 1000 dollars and emphasizes that the legalization would give donors insurances and knowledge about physiological processes caused by the removal.
3. The government would set more comprehensive control over the medical system, improves its quality, and eliminates a huge sector of the black market.

Widely discussed and denied legalization of organ sales would be a significant step in the development of society and would definitely change the world for the better. The social sector would benefit because fewer people would die, and more individuals would fight poverty. The government would thoroughly control medicine and improve its quality. Additionally, a huge part of the black market would be eliminated.

References

MacKay, J. (2004). Organ sales will save lives. Ethics and Politics in Science.