Should Organ Donation Be Encouraged in Australia

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The donation of organs is a critical medical procedure which helps save the lives of many, from the death of others. Many people owe their lives to the organs of deceased members of our society, but many ethical issues are raised with this procedure, as well as cultural and political factors. The shortage of organs around the world means that many people die waiting for an organ, for this reason many people encourage organ donation, where a living or deceased person donates their organs to someone else, in the hope that they may save the lives and give hope to the many that require such organs. There are many benefits of organ donation; it helps grieving families know that there is a positive side to the person’s death, and that they may live on through another person. It can save lives, or improve them, some people get the chance to see after being blind their whole life, and others get the right to live, through a new heart or liver. It can also be cost effective to the government, through a donation a patient may no longer have to receive medication or be on a life support system, saving the government money. However even though there are many pros to the organ donation system it also comes with some cons. The procedure is not 100% successful, and can sometimes result in death of the donor or receiver. The body’s immune system’s initial reaction when it discovers the new organ is to destroy it as it is seen as an unwanted object inside the body. The patient will have to take antirejection medication for their rest of their lives and even after taking that medication the body may still react badly to it and the patient might end up dying from it. The risks however are not just for the receiver, if the donor is a living person, the risks that come with this sort of thing include infection, bleeding and liver failure depending on what organ is removed. In rare

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