Organ donation – The right to choose
- By Alexandre Lesto
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China.org.cn, May 1, 2011
Cultural norms and values are different in the West in that they are more centered on the individual. Therefore, one's body belongs only to him or herself, and it is at that person's discretion to do what they will with it. The option to have people register for organ donation on their driver's license has thus met a certain form of success, with 80 percent of Australians and 45 percent of Brits registering.
In the United States, the move has met with more limited success, with only 38 percent of people registering, but for different reasons than those present in China. The fear in the USA stems more from misinformation. Indeed, high up on the list of worries is that doctors might be less tempted to try to save someone if that person has registered for organ donation. Other fears include misinformation relating to the black market for organ donation or simply to the process of organ selection.
Nothing can, nor should be done, about people wishing not to register. People govern their own lives, their own bodies, and if it is in their belief or desire to remain whole, then they need not register. However, it is also in people's right to have this option available, should they desire to donate. As was previously stated, over a million and a half people are desperate for a transplant every year in China. The opportunity for them to live should not be deprived, no matter how small the chance of getting matched with a donor may be.
Furthermore, such a move may, in the long term, partially hamper the black market for organ donation in China, which is rife, organized and unpunished. Harrowing tales of people abducted and waking with a huge scar and an organ missing abound. Fortunes are pocketed by middlemen, who have no fear of reprisals from authorities, as illegal trafficking in organs is only "forbidden" in China – not a criminal offense. The move to have people register for organ donation on their driver's license could very well be one long-term solution, or at the very least a means by which to alleviate this problem.
The only thing the Chinese government can do at present to supplement the move and allay people's fears is to provide accurate information. Show people the process works; show people that those responsible for collecting and distributing organs are distinct from those working in the hospitals where organ transplants are performed. In the meantime, other methods could be used to encourage people to register, such as providing tax incentives or cutting back on medical costs.
There should not be any mandates imposed on the body with respect to organ donation. Culture and personal choices should be respected, and people should not be pressured into going against those beliefs. However, saving lives is an issue that need not bow down to cultural considerations. If someone wishes to register for organ donation, then as with those who refused, it is his or her choice, and one that he should be offered.
The authoris a French-American, currently living and working in Beijing.
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn
