Saturday, April 6, 2013

A scheme to pay employees wanting to donate an organ


The Australian Federal Government is to trial a scheme to pay employees wanting to donate an organ a six-week salary on the minimum wage. Under the scheme, workers will be paid up to $606 per week for six weeks to help ease the burden of medical costs.

A part of the press release acknowledges donor risk "Because the procedure to transplant an organ is not without risk to the donor, we want to ensure they are assisted during the recovery period after surgery."

Patients faced with the diagnosis of life-threatening diseases such as that of the liver, kidney, lung may have to consider the seriousness of having an organ transplant, which can be a definitive cure for many acquired and genetic diseases. This doesn’t come without risk and there is the anxiety of waiting for a donor organ, the risks associated with the transplant operation, and the chance that the transplant procedure will not achieve the desired result.

The donor must also consider both the negative psychological and physical symptoms associated with the procedure (invasive surgery). It is possible the donors may feel sad, anxious, angry, or resentful after surgery. Donation may change the relationship you have with the recipient if known to the donor.

Living donors must be made aware of the physical and psychological risks involved before they consent to donate an organ.

Living donation is major surgery. All complications of major surgery apply. These include:

    Pain
    Infection at the incision site
    Incisional hernia
    Pneumonia
    Blood clots
    Hemorrhaging
    Potential need for blood transfusions
    Side effects associated with allergic reactions to the anesthesia
    Even death

Long-term organ specific donor complications (kidney)

    Hypertension
    Kidney failure
    Proteinuria

Liver

    Bile leakage
    Hyperbilirubinemia
    Small bowel obstruction
    Biliary stricture
    Portal vein thrombosis
    Pulmonary embolish
    Intra abdominal bleeding

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