Market in Human Organs
By Shalini Singh

Steve Jobs co-founded Apple and his personal vision manifests in all their quality products.  Apple has cash reserves of $30 billion and Steve Jobs is one of the richest, most influential men in the tech world.

Early this year,  Steve Jobs had a successful liver transplant.  All went well and he has started work part-time.

As Steve is an iconic business figure in America,  his liver transplant has set off a healthy debate on how the American medical system can improve the efficiencies of their transplant system.

Under current American law,  you can only receive an organ if it is donated to you.  Because of such a law and a scarcity of donors,  18 Americans die every day waiting in the queue.  Billionaire Steve Jobs had an advantage;  he registered in most States as his personal plane could fly him down at short notice to receive the donated liver.  In theory, anyone can register in most American states,  but in practice it is difficult as the law says you have to arrive at short notice to undergo the operation.

US-based Silicon Alley Insider,  which reports on tech companies,  has kicked off a heated debate with an article titled ‘It's Time For A Market In Human Organs’.

Silicon Alley Insider writer Joe Weisenthal does not suggest a possible structure to a market of human parts.  But he debunks the following points.

1) A market in organs would discourage altruistic donors.

2) A market in organs devalues human life.

3) The financial crisis should have disabused us of our faith in markets.

3) There will be a black market in human organs.

4) It would hurt the poor, who would be cajoled into selling organs.

Joe claims that each of these points has no merit and can be overruled.

Silicon Alley Insider is one of the most popular blogs in Tech America. As you can imagine, this article has become quite controversial. Many feel that human life is sacred and only the rich countries would have the audacity to suggest an organ market to prolong their quality of live. And that mainly people struggling with finances would ponder selling a liver or kidney.

What do you think?