Comments on: What We Can Learn from Iran about Organ Donation

By: Nick, Wada

Nick, Wada — Sun, 09 May 2010 21:13:34 +0000

Dear Sir:
I am looking for kidney transplant in Iran but I don’t know detail of the Kidney transplant there however if you have the any information for the kidney transplant in Iran please contact me immediately for the future considration.

Sincerely your:

From: Nick

By: Mel

Mel — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:54:19 +0000

Iran’s system seems to be exploiting the poor. In an underdeveloped nation with a high poverty rate, where donors are paid relatively small sums of money for their organs, which are then sold for much higher prices by the government. Is it not morally wrong to accept organs donated due to economic preasure rather than altruistic choice?

By: Why wait for transplant when you can grow your own? « Adventures of a Funky Heart!

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:17:52 +0000

[...] they do it? They have a kidney matching system and they pay donors. Singapore plans to pay donors up to 50,000 Singapore Dollars (Almost $36,000 US [...]

By: Michael Kirsch, M.D.

Michael Kirsch, M.D. — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:02:49 +0000

I’m not prepared to open up a free market organ bazaar. Yet, we need some way to increase donations without crossing ethical boundaries. Folks in need of organs,and their families, understandably would do anything to help their loved ones, but this might violate society’s rights and would also encourage exploitation of the vulnerable. We should devise other incentives, such as Israel as adopted, to save lives. I haven’t regarded Iran to be a worthy model of ethical behavior. http://www.MDWhistleblower.blogspot.com

By: artk

artk — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:59:21 +0000

If you want a free market solution to the donor organ surfeit, why just focus on the supply of organs? Why not focus on the demand side? Encourage insurance plans to eliminate reimbursement for kidney transplants. Even better, you can have patients opt out of transplant eligibility for a cash stipend.

I would also argue that kidney transplants are more expensive then dialysis. A Kidney transplant costs about $150,000 plus an additional $20,000 a year for immunosuppressive therapy. Dialysis costs about $30,000 a year. The 10 year survival rate for dialysis patients is 20% and but 10 year survival rate for transplant patients is 65%.

This is only a temporary problem, in 40 or 50 years, embryonic stem cell and cloning technology will sufficiently advance so you’ll be able to grow a new kidney that’s an exact match, no rejection problems. I understand that some people have a moral objection to this. They can always tell their dying relative to refuse the treatment for moral reasons.

By: Linda Gorman

Linda Gorman — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:50:33 +0000

Big question is how one ensures that the trade is voluntary, without outside pressure. Related question: how much is voluntary in Iran? And why should one believe Iranian statistics on anything?

Another problem is the shifting definition of death, especially in view of the Israeli requirement.

Finally, how do they know, for sure, that there is no payment for organs in the US? Not, of course, that an open market wouldn’t be bigger.

By: Larry C.

Larry C. — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:18:10 +0000

All we need here is elementary price theory. Price controls produce shortages — whether in the housing rental market or in the market for organs.

At a price of zero, there are too few organs. Raise the price and there will be more.

By: Stephen C.

Stephen C. — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:08:15 +0000

There has always been a lot of resistence to paying people for their organs. It is unclear why. In general, economists tend to favor it. Noneconomists do not.

By: Tom H.

Tom H. — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:04:57 +0000

Interesting post.