Hi ghostmayhem
I think many people do realise that HOTA has its merits. However,
the recent case is really a very bad example of how they execute
it. The thing is, for such sensitive issues, it only takes one bad
example to spoil the whole image, becoz this is our lives we're
talking about, and when we place our lives or our loved ones' lives
in their hands at the crucial moments, we don't expect them to be
so unsympathetic and even use the police to forcefully remove the
patient from his family! Don't you realise this is like a big
bully?
And the family has no say in it, not even to consult a third
opinion, or to move the patient to another hospital? This is what
made me feel uneasy - how they handled the situation.
This is the family's side of the story:
http://matrixisland.blogspot.com/2007/02/true-colour-of-matrix-masters.html
Actually right, if you all go read up more about HOTA, you will
realize that the medical team working for the organ transplant is
completely seperate from the doctors and nurses that are trying to
save you.
I know what they "said". Does it really make you feel
better?
IF you really fall into a COMA, you will be kept alive. a COMA
does not equal brain dead.However, only when you REALLY BRAIN DEAD,
and the doctors cannot earn any more $$$ out of trying to save you
because there is NO WAY TO SAVE A BRAIN DEAD PERSON,
For the record, a patient in coma or vegetative state is not
considered brain dead. So what exactly is brain dead? Doctors all
over the world cannot agree on that, much less what steps to check
for brain-dead. (Yes, i know about SG hospital's steps, but that's
only how locals do it).
Like i said, due to the sensitivities of the issue, one or two bad
examples will cause the whole idea to look very bad.
Link:
Potential organ donor was wrongly declared brain-dead
Also check out
Tanya Liu's "brain-dead" story - she was declared brain-dead by
UK doctors and revived months later in Beijing.
secondly, to clarify about Muslims and why they arent included
in HOTA
Muslims are not included inside because of religious reasons. the
islamic religion requires their bodies to be complete when they are
dead.
You mentioned that you are still a student currently in JC. Do
you still recite the SG pledge every school day? It's been very
long since i recited that pledge but i still remember what it tries
to say. Let's take a moment to ponder over the words of the
national pledge. 
This is exactly what hota is about. to make organ donation a
much fairer procedure.
How do you know it is fair? Do you just believe it becoz they
say so? There is no transparency at all. What are the criteria for
the priority? How is the organ transplant priority organised? Any
independent third party org to check on it?
As for the opt-in or opt-out system, i think there are many
discussions about it already. It is obvious that the country chose
to take the easy way out, there's not enough public awareness of it
- many people do not even know they are opt-in by default or how
many of their organs are subjected to this act. By the default
opt-in system, are they hoping that the people do not take the
extra effort needed to opt-out? What does it say about the
mentality?
*btw did you know that statiscally,
you have a much higher chance of receiving an organ due to organ
failure, than actually dying in an appropriate manner so that your
organs are harvested for HOTA? =) *
skewed logic...
well bottom line is - if you trust them good for you. if not, juz
take the extra step to opt-out.
