Dr. Braden Manns of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta and Institute for Public Health conducted a study last October which surveyed more than 2,500 Canadian public health officials and individuals affected by kidney disease. His findings revealed that 70 percent of participants thought financial incentives were acceptable for deceased donors and 40 percent felt it was okay for living donors.
While cash incentives seem like a viable way to boost the number of organ donations, many experts feel that it’s unethical to encourage people to help others only on a financial gain basis.
Arthur Schafer, Director for the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics a the University of Manitoba, is adamantly against cash incentives to increase donation numbers. “We need more generosity and altruism in society and what we have to figure out is how effectively to approach families,” he says. “It’s not the gift of life anymore and the experience of countries that pay for blood has been very similar. When you start paying for blood you get a lot of impoverished and alcoholic people donating while others stop.”
Last year, 285 Canadians died while waiting for a suitable organ.
Source: CTV News
