Proposal Argument Essay For Sale

ENG-106
Proposal Argument Essay Assignment
Many people around the world are plagued by various health care concerns that are not only financially demanding but in some cases cause detrimental effects such as death. While some medical conditions can be addressed and treated using prescribed drugs and medications, there are other health care problems that require patients to get organ transplants from donors to improve their outcomes and guarantee their survival. Some of the most common organs donated and transplanted include kidneys, liver, heart, lungs and in rare cases intestines. It is essential to note that it is neither easy nor cheap to get donors for organ transplant and health care facilities usually have long waiting lists of patients. In most cases organs are usually donated to patients who are financially capable and can “entice” donors. As such, these inequalities in health care and particularly concerning organ donation have resulted in the growth of organ trafficking in the black market. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 10% of all organs transplanted annually are usually obtained illegally (Organdonor.gov n.p). In the United States, Organ trafficking has been equated to human trafficking and therefore, the selling and buying of organs is illegal. Proponents of organ trafficking share that the initiative helps to improve the health and quality of life of the recipients. It also ensures that poor people and the less disadvantaged in society can access organs without being disadvantaged by the inequality in the health care sector. However, critiques strongly oppose organ trafficking because it promotes murder of innocent people in society. They also share that recipients of trafficked organs tend to jeopardize their lives because the surgical procedures are conducted by quacks and in deplorable health care settings. Therefore, it is important to understand the seriousness of the organ trafficking problem in the US and evaluate how using physicians and health care professionals will assist in monitoring and preventing the issue in the region.
Understanding the Organ Trafficking Problem in the United States
Despite being one of the most developed countries in the world, the United States continues to witness inequality in its health care sector. The costs of accessing health care in the region are very high and as such, it has resulted to the growth of illegal and unethical practices such as organ trafficking (Jafar 1147). Many people in the US are plagued by a myriad of medical issues including failure of essential organ such as kidneys, lungs and heart. While doctors in the US make continuous efforts to treat these health concerns using drugs and medications, there are cases that require transplantations. Figure 1 below shows an overview of the organ transplant statistics. Medical reports suggest that more than 26 million Americans are suffering from different kidney diseases. As such, from figure 1, more than 80% of organ recipients in the US are in need of kidney transplants.
It is however essential to note that organ recipients are selected primarily on need, location and compatibility. As such, it is estimated that at least 20 people die daily because of lack of organs for transplant (Organdonor.gov n.p).
Figure 1: https://g2churchnews.org/394-g2-voice-29-why-are-kidneys-being-destroyed-worldwide-and-what-to-do-to-stop-it-4-1-2017
The American Transplant Foundation has over the years been tasked with keeping records of all organ donors and recipients. The foundation updates the organ waiting list every 10 minutes (American Transplant Foundation n.p). Despite overseeing more than 40000 transplants in 2019, there are still over 113000 men and women on the national transplant waiting list as per figure 2 below. According to figure 2, the number of patients on the waiting list increases annually and is usually higher than the number of donors and transplants.
Figure 2: https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/
Based on the above grim statistics on organ donations and transplants, many patients have resorted to acquiring organs in the black market. Despite the stipulations of the National Organ and Transplant Act of 1984, the buying and selling of organs is still quite rampant in the US (Ambagtsheer et al. 12). Organ recipients are opting to purchase the organs they need and save their lives as opposed to waiting on a list where they are not assured as to when they will get the organs. Unscrupulous business people have also seen an opportunity to exploit desperate patients by sourcing for organs from different parts of the globe and selling them to the highest bidder. According to Caulfield et al., (2016), “If you want to legally sell your heart in the U.S., it can be purchased for about $1 million. Livers come in second, worth about $557,000 and kidneys cost about $262,000 each (e60). These are very attractive amounts that lure many people into selling their organs. Similarly, the number of people being reported lost and eventually found with different organs missing in the US and different parts around the globe is on the rise.
Proposed Action
Given the inhumane nature of organ trafficking, there is need to find the best possible solution to the problem. In this regard, the best solution is in using physicians and other professionals in health care to monitor and prevent the illegal trading of human organs. According to Caulfield et al (2016), physicians and other healthcare providers should be provided with resources that give a “concise summary of the facts and ethical concerns about organ trafficking during…physician/patient interaction” (1). For instance, once a patient has been diagnosed ...