Sun, 19:27 11 Jan 2009 GMT17

 

Foreigners benefit if S'pore changes organ law-paper
15 Nov 2008 03:47:42 GMT
Source: Reuters
SINGAPORE, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Foreigners who donate their organs in Singapore may be compensated under planned changes to the country's organ transplant law, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

Organ trading is illegal in Singapore and anyone found guilty may be fined up to S$10,000 ($6,579), or jailed for up to a year.

However, proposed changes to the law would make it possible for donors in Singapore and from overseas to be reimbursed for medical costs if they donated their organs in Singapore.

"As a regional medical hub, we serve patients, local and foreign. If foreigners bring their own sets of relatives or donors and vice-versa ... I think we should be open to that," Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan was quoted as saying by the Straits Times newspaper.

Health officials have said that the money should not be an "inducement" for organ donations and that those involved would still have to adhere to ethical standards.

"Anything more than $5,000 will require more justification. Anything more than $10,000 is likely to be deemed inappropriate," Khaw said.

Two Indonesians were found guilty by a Singapore court in June for illegally agreeing to sell their kidneys. Both men were sentenced to jail and fined.

Buying and selling of human organs is a lucrative business for suppliers and countries that allow foreign "transplant tourists" to have operations they cannot get at home.

According to the World Health Organisation, organ traffickers in some countries can buy organs for as little as $1,000 and sell them to wealthy clients for as much as $200,000. (Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Paul Tait)
AlertNet news is provided by

Background information


Related articles

Breaking stories
Singapore MP set on fire in attack by 70-yr-old

Asia Indonesian ferry carrying 250 passengers sinks

AlertNet insight
Asia Aid agency study pinpoints climate change hotspots

Aid agency news feed
Asia Indonesia, from rice field to fishpond: Reclaiming damaged land

Blogs
Asia Jakarta Declaration on the Safety of Journalists in Asia-Pacific

Maps
Asia MAP: Indonesia, Papua Guinea, earthquakes (04 January 2009)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-09T102343Z_01_JAK06_RTRIDSP_2_INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK06.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-08T125557Z_01_JAK08_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK08.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-04T135027Z_01_JAK14_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK14.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-04T134812Z_01_JAK13_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK13.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-04T133623Z_01_JAK12_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK12.htm

Visually impaired people from Ikatan Tunanetra Muslim Indonesia (indonesia Blind Muslim Unity) shout slogans as they walk in front of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta January 9, 2009, in protest against ...



URL: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SIN161992.htm

For our full disclaimer and copyright information please visit http://www.alertnet.org