opinion
Compensated organ donors have a right to their decisions
Posted Feb. 21, 2011
Regarding "Kidney exchange program makes 1st matches" (link): While I share the enthusiasm for increasing kidney transplantation via the use of paired donations, the best way to increase the number of transplants is to end bans on compensating donors.
Bans on payment for organ donation are essentially based on the anti-American principle of citizens being the property of the state, for if people are truly sovereign over themselves they should be able to sell their kidneys (or other parts of their bodies).
Amesh Adalja, MD, Butler, Pa.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/02/21/edlt0221.htm.