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Who Gets the Kidney?

May 30th, 2007
By Michael van der Galien

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That’s the question. In the Netherlands we have a new television show: De Grote Donor Show (The Big Donor Show). What’s the show about you ask? Well, quite simple: this Friday 37 year old Lisa will donate one of her kidneys… on television. Three people who need a new kidney will be there. They have to answer questions. After that, Lisa will decide who gets her kidney. The viewers have an active role as well: they can SMS (to advise Lisa probably).

There is a lot of debate going on about this show in the Netherlands. Some consider it a good thing: we do not have enough people who are willing to donate their organs (after they die). This ’stunt’ or show, might make it easier for people to make the decision to donate their organs. However, there are also people who object, who find it tasteless. Members of Parliament have asked questions about the show, some want the government to ban it (it’s being broadcasted on a government-owned channel).

It is very sad that such a show is deemed necessary by so many people. It is very sad that not enough people have signed the paper, giving doctors permission to use one’s organs at the moment one dies. On the other hand, I do not for one second believe that this show will help solve this problem. It will give a boost to the network’s (BNN) ratings, but that is it. They will, I am afraid, not achieve much more than that. Besides that, I also find it to be incrediby tasteless and brutal. How about the ‘losers’?

More here.



This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 9:01 am and is filed under The Netherlands. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

 
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