ADVANCED MANAGEMENT ENGLISH

CRITICAL ANALYSIS Legalising Organ Trading

The journal Legalising Organ Trading in the Singapore Medical Association (SMA), dated July 2008 was written by Dr Wong Chiang Yin and is about the judgment on the right of legalize organ trading. The writer is a President of the 49th SMA Council since year 2006. Currently, he has been the Executive Director of TMC Life Sciences Berhad since January 12, 2011 (Anglo-Chinese Junior College, March 26,2011 ACJC-OBA Careers Talk). He has provided a career talk on vocations in medicine, law, banking, accounting and auditing in Singapore on 26th of March 2011 (Bloomberg Businessweek, November 28, 2011 TMC LIFE SCIENCES BHD (TMCL: Kuala Lumpur), Businessweek). Other than that, he also had written few articles in the Presidents Forum such as The Better Doctor (Dr. Wong Chiang Yin, February, 2007 The Better Doctor, Presidents Forum). The article Legalising Organ Trading tells the story of the overview of the President of SMA, Dr. Wong Chiang Yin on the issues of morality of organ trading in Singapore and also the view of the other countries. Besides that, he also mentioned that, there is certain important issue of how SMA in which position should they deal with the organ trading issues. Other than that, the values of organ trading should be considered. Based on World Health Organization (WHO), the shortage of human organ is a very general problem around the world, such as liver and kidneys (Yosuke Shimazono, February, 2007 The state of the international organ trade: a provisional picture based on integration of available information, World Health Organization). Among the 75000 of people, including those patients who are on the waiting lists, there are at least 5 thousand people who are died due to the shortage of organs every year. The demand for organ transplant has increased each year especially kidneys has always be the priority in the world. There are many countries also faced the same problem, not only the United States but including Asian countries (Francois Tremblay, October 30, 2002 Organ Trade is Moral, The Liberator). As Dr. Wong Chiang Yin mentioned in his article, Legalising Organ Trading, he believes that organ trading is most likely abortion in some other way. The relationship in between abortion and organ trading are almost a similar issue to debate in the medical profession. Therefore, there are pros and cons on legalizing organ trading. However, he dared not to do any judgment on those who purchase the organs illegally as hell leave it for the judges to take over their actions. He believes the morality of opposing on illegal organ trading seems much more difficult position

for medical association to adopt in SMA. Somehow, in other way, a person can still be alive even after death making the death more meaningful by donating organs and giving new lease of life to the needy (Bhumika Sharma, 2011 Organ Trade: Masscare of Morality, The Viewspaper), at least, for those who are still on the waiting lists is given a hope to survive, instead of disappointment. If there is an alternative to choose, Dr. Wong might consider on legalizing the organ trade, but the organ trade has to be regulated with rules and regulations to prevent any illegalize trading which the market would targeted the poor, in exchange for buying their organs with high prices. In Asia countries, such as India, happened to be selling off as many as 500 kidneys in the black-market which taken from the poor laborers to the foreigners from U.S., U.K. and elsewhere (Peter Ritter, August 19, 2008 Legalizing the Organ Trade, TIME). However, there are still doubt on the process and regulator of legalizing organ trading. One of the reason, there is still uncertainty in which legalize organ trading would saved donors lives. Even though, there is an increased in the available organ, the successful transplantation is still under a consideration (Andrew Price, May 24, 2010 Should We Legalize the Kidney Trade, GOOD). Other than that, we need to consider the degree on protecting the donors position. For example, if the donors position is unprotected, black-market will take the opportunity to buy and sell the organs of the donors body because they are too poor, in exchange for money to turnover their familys life (New Delhi, India, January 28, 2008 Should Organ-ised Trade be legalised? CNN-IBN). By looking at the issues of values of organ trading, many would have a second thought of what and how legalizing organ trade will gives them the advantages to current generations or the next generations. Dr. Wong did mentioned that no matter how worst can the moral values goes high-horse but it is an important problem for us to deal with the outcomes. This includes how people of Singapore see this issue of values as one of the important decision making towards their life or towards their country. According to a news report, at least 3,500 people in Singapore have kidney failure; 600 are on transplant lists. However, they have to wait up to nine years for an organ from a deceased donor. This explains why Singaporeans are seeking kidney transplants in other countries.

The people of Singapore are divided on the issue of buying and selling organs. Some are in favor of it in order to save lives. Others oppose it because it involves the exploitation of the poor. The Singapore Medical Association, to the surprise of some doctors, voted against the legalization of the organ trade. The group cited the shortterm and long-term medical complications arising from kidney transplants. (Mong Palatino, July 29, 2008 Legalizing Organ Trade in Singapore, UPI Asia). This came along onto the legalizing organ Pledge professes. Some thinks that the Pledge written are compatible with the organ trade but it may need to be amend or even they thinks that it should be avoid from any philosophical conundrum or incongruence in a logic way of thinking. According to Dr. Wong, personally he does against organ trading. This may due to his owns certainty of philosophical, religious and humanitarian beliefs of the trust towards him. He does not hope other members of SMA or even the public to persuade on his personal decisions. On Saturday, 12 July 2008, SMA Council debated on the issue of organ trade and they received an overwhelming majority of them supporting SMA will not agree on any basis of any move towards legalizing organ trade. Singapore should also not forget that the bigger issue today is not the organ trade but holistic medical care given to the poor. Prevention of kidney failure and other chronic illnesses should be a higher priority. They should re-examine its healthcare budget and investigate if proper medical attention is being given to its citizens, especially the poor. As much as possible, organ transplants should be discouraged. In view of the authors article, Dr. Wong disagree in legalizing the organ trade. He would have any certainty to evoke some Singaporeans to come forward with a worthwhile reasons and proofs of the benefits legalizing the organ trade. Even though, legalizing the organ trade maybe a better choice to some other countries out there, it is very much be as useful to the victims who need organs. Many would be suffering waiting or even buy organs illegally but this would be a good way to change the mindset of the people and potentially creates a group of society going against the government or the main association to legalize the organ trade in future.

References
1) Andrew Price. (2010, May 24). Should We Legalize the Kidney Trade?, GOOD, Retrieved from: http://www.good.is/post/should-we-legalize-thekidney-trade/. 2) Anglo-Chinese Junior College. (2011, March 26). ACJC-OBA Careers Talk, Retrieved from: http://www.acjc.edu.sg/article/1468. 3) Bhumika Sharma. (2011).Organ Trade: Massacre of Morality, The Viewspaper, Retrieved from: http://theviewspaper.net/organ-trade-massacreof-morality-2/. 4) Bloomberg Businessweek. (2011, November 28). TMC LIFE SCIENCES BHD (TMCL:Kuala Lumpur),Businessweek, Retrieved from:

http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId =12701028&ticker=TMCL:MK&previousCapId=878066&previousTitle=BE RJAYA%20SPORTS%20TOTO%20BHD. 5) Dr Wong Chiang Yin. (2007, February). The Better Doctor, Presidents Forum, Retrieved from: http://www.sma.org.sg/sma_news/3902/Forum.pdf. 6) Francois Tremblay. (2002, October 30). Organ Trade is Moral., The Liberator, Retrieved from: http://liberator.net/articles/TremblayFrancois/OrganTrade.html. 7) Mong Palatino. (2008, July 29). Legalizing Organ Trade in Singapore, UPI Asia, Retrieved from: http://www.upiasia.com/Society_Culture/2008/07/29/legalizing_organ_trade_i n_singapore/7019/ 8) New Delhi, India. (2008, January 28). Should organ-ised trade be legalized?, CNN-IBN Retrieved from: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/should-organised-tradebe-legalised-in-india/57595-3-p0.html. 9) Peter Ritter. (2008, August 19). Legalizing the Organ Trade?, TIME, Retrieved from:

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1833858,00.html. 10) Yosuke Shimazono. (2007, December 12). The state of the international organ trade: a provisional picture based on integration of available information., World Health Organization Retrieved from:

http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/12/06-039370/en/.