The recent appeal in the media for the offer of a healthy kidney by a living donor for transplantation into a named patient has aroused a great deal of debate in the country. Initially, monetary remuneration to the donor was also promised. This is a matter of serious concern to the Committee of the Transplant Support Group and to all those involved in the field of organ transplantation. In spite of the fact that the person who made the initial offer of monetary remuneration later explained that the money promised was not to be made in payment for the purchase of the organ but only as a reimbursement of any expenses incurred (eg The loss of work due to the needed surgical intervention and its aftermath) our committee still maintains that any gift of money or other form of remuneration is unethical and goes against every principle which should guide our actions in this area.

We continue to insist that transplant organ donation must at all times be motivated by a sense of altruism and solidarity with those in suffering, without any expectation of reward of favour. This is an EU requirement in Directive 2010 of the European Parliament and its Councils of Ministries of 7 July 2010, of the Council of Europe in the Oviedo Convention (1997), and also of the Protocol on the transplantation of organs (2002). These documents make it clear that any commercialisation of human organs goes against the dignity and the integrity of the human person.

We maintain that in cases of donation by living donors not related to the patient of a kidney for transplantation the procedures laid down by the ad hoc Board set up by the Department of Health have to be followed, so that case is thoroughly studied with the aim safeguarding all its medical and moral aspects.

Our committee is endeavouring to the best of its ability to make use of the media to bring it about that the current controversy will be beneficial so that all those who are ready to donate a kidney to the present patient will, if there is tissue incompatibility with this particular patient, be also ready to volunteer as donors to some other Renal Unit patient on the waiting list for a kidney transplant.

Our committee promises to all patients in the Renal Unit, be they group members or not, that it will continue to follow this issue so as to make sure that the benefit and interests of all patients are safeguard.

■ Alfred Debattista

President

Transplant Support Group