Disturbing reports have emerged of rushed and botched operations on organ donors, sometimes occurring before the patient has died. RFK is looking to sort this problem out.
There have been numerous cases reported by families in which doctors have attempted to remove organs from donors before they are dead. In some cases, there is still a chance of the patient recovering or being still alive. The report acquired by the New York Times states that a “growing number of patients have endured premature or bungled attempts to retrieve their organs.”
According to the investigation, this is linked to an increase in surgery being performed on organ donors after circulatory death. This is when a patient is not brain dead, but is critically injured. In these cases, there is still a chance that the patient could make a recovery. However, allegedly, there have been multiple cases in which surgeons will rush in to take organs prematurely.
This has resulted in more than 70 cancelled organ removals because the patient appeared to be improving before they took their insides away. Many of these operations “should have been stopped sooner,” according to the report.
Desperate Rushed Death
More alarmingly, there is an indication from 55 medical workers in 19 states that they witnessed “at least one disturbing case of donation after circulatory death.” There have even been reports that death was encouraged in order to be able to work on the organ donors. It has been claimed that drugs were administered to hasten it.
This drive to harvest from organ donors early is due to the huge demand in the medical industry. There are far more people requiring organs than able to provide them. So, in an effort to cut down the numbers, organ donors are being used far earlier than is morally or legally acceptable.
Robert F. Kennedy has spoken out about this disturbing practice going on in US hospitals. “This is horrifying,” Kennedy announced. “The organ procurement organizations that coordinate access to transplants will be held accountable. The entire system must be fixed to ensure that every potential donor’s life is treated with the sanctity it deserves.”
As always with the US healthcare system, there will be someone, somewhere, making a profit from the organ donors.