EU aims to boost organ donors amid TV row
May 29th 2007, 5:13 am
#1
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EU aims to boost organ donors amid TV row
By Darren Ennis Reuters - 44 minutes ago
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's health chief will unveil
plans on Wednesday to increase organ donations and transplants amid a
row over a Dutch reality TV show in which a dying woman is due to
select a recipient for her kidneys.
(Advertisement)
Dutch broadcaster BNN said it would broadcast The Big Donorshow on
Friday during which a 37-year-old woman will choose one of three
people with kidney problems, despite calls from the government for the
programme to be scrapped.
On Wednesday, EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou will publish a
new strategy to combat a shortage of donated organs, which figures
show contributes to 10 deaths a day in the 27-nation bloc.
While acknowledging that Friday's Dutch show highlighted the urgency
of the Commission plan, Kyprianou's spokesman said the commissioner
did not favour such a programme.
"It seems in rather bad taste to do a reality TV show on something
like this which is after all a serious issue. On Wednesday we will put
forward real proposals on how to improve the situation," spokesman
Philip Tod said.
Dutch Education and Culture Minister Ronald Plasterk, a professor of
molecular biology and former chief of the Dutch Cancer Institute,
said: "The intention of the programme to get more attention for organ
donation may be laudable. However, based on the information I now
have, the programme appears to me to be inappropriate and unethical
because it is a competition."
According to Tod, 40,000 patients are waiting for an organ transplant
across the EU. The mortality rate while waiting for a heart, liver or
lung transplant is between 15 and 30 percent.
DONOR CARDS
The Commission is expected to focus on the importance of Europeans'
carrying organ donor cards along with better cooperation and
harmonisation of donor policies at EU level.
"The paper will outline common EU standards on the quality and safety
of organ donations and transplants, which could secure a sufficient
and safe supply or organs," a Commission official said, citing the
paper, planned well before the furore over the programme.
The paper will also propose other ways to increase organ availability
such as creating organ transplant coordinators in hospitals and
expanding the use of living donors.
The EU executive will also issue an opinion poll on Europeans'
attitudes towards organ donation and transplantation.
The Eurobarometer survey is also expected to highlight a big gap
between an acceptance of organ donation cards and the take-up of such
cards in the EU.
In the Dutch show, the donor will choose the recipient of her kidneys
based on the contestants' history, profile and conversations with
their families and friends.
Viewers will be able to send text messages advising her during the 80-
minute show. The ruling coalition Christian Democrat (CDA) party and
the conservative Christian Union have called the show "wretched" and
unethical.
BNN says it wants to highlight the difficulties faced by kidney
sufferers in getting donor organs as a tribute to the station's
founder, Bart de Graaff, who died of kidney failure five years ago,
despite several transplants.
The Netherlands is a pioneer of reality shows such as "Big Brother".
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's health chief will unveil
plans on Wednesday to increase organ donations and transplants amid a
row over a Dutch reality TV show in which a dying woman is due to
select a recipient for her kidneys.
(Advertisement)
Dutch broadcaster BNN said it would broadcast The Big Donorshow on
Friday during which a 37-year-old woman will choose one of three
people with kidney problems, despite calls from the government for the
programme to be scrapped.
On Wednesday, EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou will publish a
new strategy to combat a shortage of donated organs, which figures
show contributes to 10 deaths a day in the 27-nation bloc.
While acknowledging that Friday's Dutch show highlighted the urgency
of the Commission plan, Kyprianou's spokesman said the commissioner
did not favour such a programme.
"It seems in rather bad taste to do a reality TV show on something
like this which is after all a serious issue. On Wednesday we will put
forward real proposals on how to improve the situation," spokesman
Philip Tod said.
Dutch Education and Culture Minister Ronald Plasterk, a professor of
molecular biology and former chief of the Dutch Cancer Institute,
said: "The intention of the programme to get more attention for organ
donation may be laudable. However, based on the information I now
have, the programme appears to me to be inappropriate and unethical
because it is a competition."
According to Tod, 40,000 patients are waiting for an organ transplant
across the EU. The mortality rate while waiting for a heart, liver or
lung transplant is between 15 and 30 percent.
DONOR CARDS
The Commission is expected to focus on the importance of Europeans'
carrying organ donor cards along with better cooperation and
harmonisation of donor policies at EU level.
"The paper will outline common EU standards on the quality and safety
of organ donations and transplants, which could secure a sufficient
and safe supply or organs," a Commission official said, citing the
paper, planned well before the furore over the programme.
The paper will also propose other ways to increase organ availability
such as creating organ transplant coordinators in hospitals and
expanding the use of living donors.
The EU executive will also issue an opinion poll on Europeans'
attitudes towards organ donation and transplantation.
The Eurobarometer survey is also expected to highlight a big gap
between an acceptance of organ donation cards and the take-up of such
cards in the EU.
In the Dutch show, the donor will choose the recipient of her kidneys
based on the contestants' history, profile and conversations with
their families and friends.
Viewers will be able to send text messages advising her during the 80-
minute show. The ruling coalition Christian Democrat (CDA) party and
the conservative Christian Union have called the show "wretched" and
unethical.
BNN says it wants to highlight the difficulties faced by kidney
sufferers in getting donor organs as a tribute to the station's
founder, Bart de Graaff, who died of kidney failure five years ago,
despite several transplants.
The Netherlands is a pioneer of reality shows such as "Big Brother".
May 29th 2007, 10:20 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: EU aims to boost organ donors amid TV row
Make credence recognised that on 29 May 2007 10:13:04 -0700, Geen
Uitzending <[email protected]> has scripted:
>By Darren Ennis Reuters - 44 minutes ago
Jeremy beat you by hours!
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DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
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Uitzending <[email protected]> has scripted:
>By Darren Ennis Reuters - 44 minutes ago
Jeremy beat you by hours!
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--
