Yes, great topic Belly. I've never been able to understand why it is that Australians are apparently so reticent to donate their organs when they die. I agree that an 'opt-out' system would make far more sense than current arrangements, and that relatives etc should not be able to override the expressed wishes of deceased people to be organ donors on their deaths.

Hi CJ, nice to see that you're back!

Belly, teeeheee we need some opponents in this discussion otherwise there is not much more left to say.

The reasons I have come across from people who would not donate their organs were based on:

* Suspicion (what if there is an after life- will you have to go around without a liver, hehehe, or perhaps a disfunctional liver/heart?)

* Plain nastiness (they don't wanna donate to gays, lesbians, atheists, muslims, criminals, bludgers, or whatever group of people they hate or fear).

* Economical reasons (organ transplants cost Medicare and/or insurance companies a lot of money). Me wonders whether these people would refuse an organ when the time comes that their own child or partner or they, themselves are facing death because one of their organs is failing.

Any other reasons that anyone might have heard?

Celivia,

Nothing I have ever read would confirm your jaundiced view of the motivations of people who don't donate organs.

It would seem that administrative delays, most commonly through finding and obtaining next of kin agreement result in losses. Those problems if fixed could see a dramatic increase in the number of successful transplants.

This is not to say that more donors shouldn't be encouraged, but be aware it will result in more waste and upset people without correcting known systemic problems.

An 'opt-out' system does not correct the problems. For example, hospitals' insurers would remain wary of proactive solutions without first locating and obtaining the concurrence of the next-of-kin.

Cornflower,

You obviously haven't taken part in enough discussion about organ donation either on OLO or with people you meet in your daily life, otherwise you would have, like I did, met people with opinions like this one:

"Celivia, my body my right. I don't have to think about anyone else but myself. My choice. And I certainly don't want some alcoholic or drug user to benefit from my lifetime of clean living only to treat my gift with their who gives a "-" attitude. I want to meet my recipient and know they are worthy. If anybody is going to be the judge of who gets my body parts it'll be me and my family will benefit with some financial security. Not left to some social dictator to play at altruism at my families expense (or anyone else's)
Posted by aqvarivs, Tuesday, 19 June 2007 11:19:38 PM"
http://tinyurl.com/2dse88t

Of course systemic problems should be fixed.

Spain, with an opt-out system does have triple the amount of donors as Australia has. Not that this necessarily is due to the opt-out system, but why not have an opt-out system if it even slightly increases the amount of donors we have?

Why are we afraid of change?
Do we have to live with yesterdays cultural belief.
We should make laws that let us harvest these organs.
That set out clear laws saying only by exception should it not happen.
Now in the debate I got this from a bribe was proposed.
Those who donated would have funeral costs paid.
Lets turn it on its head, those who refuse to follow the wishes of the dead should be forced to pay an equal amount of the funeral cost to a health system fund.
Funeral costs are a separate issue some suffer greatly because of them but we must remember we can not forever give money away it has to be paid for in the long run.

An Opt-out system of organ donation, may not be 100% perfect, but it is light-speed ahead of our present system where even the best intentions of the donor can have their final wishes thwarted by relatives who either hold religious views or other equally judgemental opinions.

Currently the rate of donations in countries like Australia is fewer than 2 out of every ten families - which is woeful. And legislation to Opt-Out would also eradicate the black market for human body parts.

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2007/05/india_transplants_donorpolicy

Clearly the current system is not adequate and people who could have their entire lives turned around are dying needlessly. Where are all the "pro-lifers"? Still bleating about foetuses no doubt.