Q07072

Should everyone be made to donate their organs once they have died?  A lot of people do think this but there is a small group of people who do not want to be made to donate their organs.  They have a good argument to back their thinking up as well such as it goes against basic human rights or their free will to force someone to do something that is as sensitive  as this issue.  Also some cultures and religions don not agree with organ donation either.  There are other methods too that help with donating organs such as the transplant of animal organs.

In a society like that of New Zealand, our country is run by a democratic government.  This means that the nation’s citizens have the choice to vote in whoever they want to govern over them.  So if a law was passed by the voted in government to make organ donation compulsory, they would lose many votes from their loyal followers.  This is because, to make a law which forces someone to do something against their own will, many people would not agree with this action as it takes away their freedom to make a choice.

Many people belong to a religion or come from a culture that frowns upon organ donation.  For example in the Hindu culture, they do not feel that they will be complete and able to get into the next life if they are without their vital organs.  A religion with a view on organ donation is Jehovah’s Witnesses.  There are about 10,000 of them living in New Zealand.  While they have no rule on organ donation, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses say that it is a conscious decision and it is up to the person themselves.  This means that if a law was passed to make organ donation compulsory, it could leave many people who belong to a religion or culture with a guilty conscience and that is not right in today’s society.

Doctors these days can perform many miracles while in surgery.  There are other options that do not involve the use of a human organ.  A new way to do this is called xenotransplantation.  In simpler words, it is the donation of pig organs.  In the USA, around 18 people a day die of being on the waiting list for too long while waiting for a suitable organ.  In Australia there are only 9 suitable donors for every 1 million people.  That is a staggering fact.  As well as people not wanting to donate their organs, there is now a great shortage of organs, so pig organs are obviously the way to go.  Many people are afraid of diseases being passed over but the Australian Working Group had this to say.  “The potential for a new infectious disease to cross the species barrier from animals to humans is of great concern to the public as well as to the medical practioners.”  So only the “very high standard” pigs are chosen to donate so it is an effective, safe and reliable option.

So should everyone be made to donate their organs?  Well it goes against the basic rights of a human being to be forced to do something.  Also, it contradicts with many religions and cultures in the world and there are many other options such as using pig organs.  Many agree that organ donation is a good thing, but forcing someone to do it?  That just isn’t right.