SINGAPORE Singapore is considering legalizing kidney trading to assistant meet demand for kidney transplants, the city-state’s health perform service said Monday.

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The Health Ministry will examine the feasibility of providing payments to unrelated donors to augment the supply of kidneys, Khaw Boon Wan said in Parliament, acknowledging that the suggestion has stirred controversy.

“We should not reject somewhat archetype just because it is radical or controversial,” Khaw uttered. “We may be able to find an acceptable habitual method to allow a meaningful compensation for some living, unrelated kidney donors, without breaching ethical principles or hurting the sensitivities of others.”

Khaw said the ministry would re-survey possible changes to current legislation to allow payments towards donations from third parties such at the same time that those from the charity and religious sectors. Under the proffer, which would urgency to be approved by Parliament to become law, patients would also get aid in finding donors.

“There are desperate patients out there wishing to live and desperately poor the public willing to exchange a kidney for a hopefully improved life,” he said.

Khaw also said the Health Ministry would trial to amend existing laws on organ transplants to remove an age limit on deceased donors, currently concrete at 60 years, because “the suitability of the organ depends without interruption its condition preferably than the age of the donor.”

The two initiatives should capacitate Singapore to bring about out 70 percent of the kidney transplants needed every year - up from 50 percent currently, the minister said.

The two initiatives should raise Singapore’s sufficiency in kidney transplants from 50 percent to 70 percent, the minister said. He said about 1,000 new cases of kidney failure are diagnosed each year, by nearly 40 percent unable to survive the first year.

Khaw’s comments follow the cases of two Indonesian men who were jailed and fined by a Singapore solicitation earlier this month after being convicted of agreeing to sell their kidneys to two patients in the city-state.

Selling or buying organs or royal line is unlawful in Singapore and carries a punishment of up to 12 months’ jail, or a fine of up to $7,405 or both.


Original paragraph: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2008063484_apsingaporeorgantrading.html?syndication=rss