Monday, August 5, 2013

Maori Rejection of Organ Donation on Spiritual Grounds Costs Maori Lives

New Zealand has one of the lowest organ donor rates in the Western world.

How low?

Well in 2005 just 29 people became donors after they had died.

The biggest ethnic group in need of new organs in New Zealand ironically forms the lowest ethnic grouping of donors.

N.Z Maori. 

It is therefore rather ironic a trans-gender ex Maori MP, Georgina Beyer, is leading the charge for more Kiwis to become live organ donors.

The motivation is Beyer herself (?) is in need of a new kidney.

Rather than target the entire population Beyer should have started her quest to increase organ donation amongst her own people; many of whom reject the concept on spiritual grounds.

In 2006 The Maori Party voted against Jackie Blue's ultimately failed Human Tissue (Organ Donation) Amendment Bill because they "don't believe in organ donation" knowing fully well Maori formed a large percentage of people waiting for organ donation, some of their own whanau would die as a result of their belligerence.

The easy solution to solving a lack of live organs is to incentivise the system.

If you are registered donor, like me, you go to the top of the heap.

Those who fail to register or have no one in their inner circle (so not to penalise children) on the registered-list go on the waiting list.    

It is therefore hard to feel sorry for Maori as a whole when it comes to organ-donation given their cultural rejection of the medical procedure. 

    

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

When my son was in intensive care and I was asked to donate his organs, I didn't hesitate. They went on to benefit 10 other people. The greatest gift to give, the gift of love. We took his body back to the Marae, a four hour drive. He was given a standing ovation by our people at the Marae, for the gifts he had given. A few years ago I may have thought differently, now I am content with the concept of life and death. I wrote a screenplay about my sons death and gifts of his organs, and have tried to pitch it to a TV channel but so far no one seems interested. And yet the need amongst Maori are high. Nobody really talks about organ donation.

Canterbury Atheists said...

Thanks for your comments. I made it compulsory for all my kids to become organ donors when they got their licenses, more parents should do the same.