Supply and Demand 2
Recent medical advances have greatly enhanced the ability to successfully transplant organs and tissue. Forty-five years ago the first successful kidney transplant was performed in the United States, followed twenty years later by the first heart transplant. Statistics from the United Network for Organ Sharing (ONOS) indicate that in 1998 a total of 20,961 transplants were performed in the United States. Although the number of transplants has risen sharply in recent years, the demand for organs far outweighs the supply. To date, more than 65,000 people are on the national organ transplant waiting list and about 4,000 of them will die this year- about 11 every day- while waiting for a chance to extend their life through organ donation (Yoakam 1). This figure, when looked at from an economic standpoint, exemplifies a case of supply and demand between organ donors and patients "with a diseased organ". Just as there is a supply and demand in any given market, there are also complementary and substitute goods. Who decides who gets transplants and who doesn't? This question implies that the organ market also needs to have various, effective allocation mechanisms. The organ market has complementary and substitute goods and can use v
In the organ market, several allocation mechanisms come to mind. There is always the possibility that a particular patient has a family member or friend that is in the organ transplantation profession, and/or the family of the patient is able to "pay-off" someone in charge of the distribution of organs. In reality, these two mechanisms are frowned upon for their "lack of morality." One real possibility for an allocation mechanism is to make a "waiting list" on a first-come first-served basis. This method would only be for those who, in a panel of doctors' professional opinions, had a chance to survive after the transplant. In other words, those dying with cancer along with a diseased organ would not be on the list. During the week of April 14, 2000, National Oragan and Tissue Donor Awareness Week, the President of the United States gave a proclomation. In this he stated, "To address this critical and growing need, Vice President Gore and Secretary of Health and Human Services Shalala launched the National Organ and Tissue Donation Initiative in December of 1997. This public-private partnership was designed to raise awareness of the success of organ and tissue transplanta-tion and to educate our citizens about the urgent need for increased donation. Working with partners such as health care organiza-tions, estate planning attorneys, faith communities, educational organizations, the media, minority organizations, and business leaders, the Initiative is reaching out to Americans of all ages,
Some common words found in the essay are:
Sharing ONOS, Initiative December, Transplant Act, , allocation mechanisms, organ market, President United, Gift Life, complementary substitute, organ donation, supply demand, organ transplant, Services Shalala, effective allocation, national organ, waiting list, price organs, effective allocation mechanisms, National Organ, due increase demand, shortage supply compared, increases due increase, market complementary substitute,
Approximate Word count = 1014
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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