Roles

Policy Expert:

The Policy maker will become competent in discussing policies governing Organ Donation and Transplantation throughout the rest of the world. You will need to know, among other things:

• What does the South Australian Act say, regarding organ donation and transplantation? Read page 7 and 8 for information on consent. What is "presumed consent"?
• What is the Australian Government doing to increase organ donation rates to overcome the problem of the shortage of organs available for donation?
• What is the difference between the "opt in" and "opt out" policy and what impact has this had on organ donation rates worldwide.
• What policies are in place in the world for categorizing patients in priority order for transplants?
• What rights does an individual have if they wish to donate organs. Can this decision be overturned by any other person? Who, in priority order, makes the final decision about whether organs can be donated?

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Ethical Expert:

The expert in Ethics will become competent in discussing issues such as:

• Should people be allowed to sell organs? Transplant tourism - is it an option for Australia? Read the recommendations from the Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism by 150 medical ethicists and scientist from around the world about whether organs should be sold.
• Should organs be taken from criminals condemned to death?
• The cost of transplantation is large. Who should be responsible for this cost - the Government or the individual?
• How does the cost of the operation and ongoing medical care compare to the long term cost of caring for someone with end stage renal (kidney) failure, who requires dialysis 3 to 4 times a week?
• Should the donor be able to choose to whom they give their organs?
• Should doctors be allowed to experiment with operations with potentially a high risk of failure, for example, hands or face?

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Social Expert:

The Social expert will be able to effectively debate issues such as:

• Should some people not be given organs i.e. the obese, criminals, terrorists? Who would decide?
• Should animals be bred to provide organs for humans? As the great apes are closest genetically to humans, should we harvest their organs? What animals are most likely to provide the best organs?
• Should stem cell research be allowed to progress to the point where organs could be "grown" in the laboratory?
• Should a person's beliefs be enough to prevent the removal of potentially lifesaving organs following brain death?

http://gftn.panda.org/...Logging-Threatens
-Great-Ape-Populations

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Medical Expert:

The Medical expert will provide insight into practical issues such as:

• What organs can currently be transplanted? What other than organs can be transplanted?
• What are some potential problems, medically, if we transplant organs from other species?
• What are some of the organs for which transplantation is still experimental i.e. hands, face, pancreas?
• What are the current limitations to further medical progress? Discuss issues such as anti-rejection drugs and the long term effects of immunosuppressant drugs.
• Where has technology reached in the quest for artificial organs? Is development yet at a level where they are viable for use as alternatives?

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