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Tens of thousands of people die each year because compatible donors cannot be compensated for bone marrow or blood donations.

pitaj 2y ago
My first thought as well. There's a strong argument against prohibition of the sale of human organs.
- mschuster91 2y ago
  There's also strong arguments for prohibiting the sale of human organs, chiefly that you want to avoid pressure against poor people to give up their kidneys to survive. Even for something as simple as blood donations, once money enters the equation, everything changes incentive-wise... you don't want people to lie on donation forms about how long ago their last donation was just to make money (and then end up being carried off to the ER because they gave up way too much blood). The other debate that inevitably crops up is ethics, similar to the debate around surrogate pregnancies, we are already seeing women from piss poor countries taking up one of the most serious health challenges there is for rich Western women - women that just don't want to risk their bodies getting fucked up permanently by pregnancy.
GJim 2y ago
Not in Blighty. We would regard being paid to donate blood (!) as rather distasteful. We do not have a lack of donors and I do not know a single heathy person who hasn't voluntarily donated blood at some time in their life. NHS blood donation teams regularly set up temporary donation centres in shopping precincts, library's, universities and workplaces, so you can pop in and donate blood whenever is convenient for you. The only payment you get is a cup an tea and a biscuit afterwards. And the feeling you may have helped saved a life. I'll let somebody else make the comments about medical capitalism in the USA.
- jdietrich 2y ago
  Interestingly enough, there is an internal market for blood products - NHS Blood and Transplant sells blood products to NHS hospitals. The current contract price for a unit of standard red cells is £158.18. https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/29949/price_list_bc_nhs_contract_cost-per-item_2023-24.pdf https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/2...
- bpodgursky 2y ago
  Yes incredible stuff, you seem to have your healthcare system totally sorted out [1][2]. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-54731724 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-54731724 [2] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/red-blood-cell-shortage-england-why https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/red-blood-cell-shortage-engla...
  - GJim 2y ago
    Which is when the temp donation centres are set up to overcome such a shortage. There is still no need for payment (aka bribes) my capitalist friend.
- Havoc 2y ago
  > I do not know a single heathy person who hasn't voluntarily donated blood at some time in their life. That sounds like a social circle thing. I’d be surprised if UK overall rate cracks 50%

pitaj 2y ago

My first thought as well. There's a strong argument against prohibition of the sale of human organs.

mschuster91 2y ago
There's also strong arguments for prohibiting the sale of human organs, chiefly that you want to avoid pressure against poor people to give up their kidneys to survive. Even for something as simple as blood donations, once money enters the equation, everything changes incentive-wise... you don't want people to lie on donation forms about how long ago their last donation was just to make money (and then end up being carried off to the ER because they gave up way too much blood). The other debate that inevitably crops up is ethics, similar to the debate around surrogate pregnancies, we are already seeing women from piss poor countries taking up one of the most serious health challenges there is for rich Western women - women that just don't want to risk their bodies getting fucked up permanently by pregnancy.

GJim 2y ago

Not in Blighty. We would regard being paid to donate blood (!) as rather distasteful. We do not have a lack of donors and I do not know a single heathy person who hasn't voluntarily donated blood at some time in their life. NHS blood donation teams regularly set up temporary donation centres in shopping precincts, library's, universities and workplaces, so you can pop in and donate blood whenever is convenient for you. The only payment you get is a cup an tea and a biscuit afterwards. And the feeling you may have helped saved a life. I'll let somebody else make the comments about medical capitalism in the USA.

jdietrich 2y ago
Interestingly enough, there is an internal market for blood products - NHS Blood and Transplant sells blood products to NHS hospitals. The current contract price for a unit of standard red cells is £158.18. https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/29949/price_list_bc_nhs_contract_cost-per-item_2023-24.pdf https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/2...
bpodgursky 2y ago
Yes incredible stuff, you seem to have your healthcare system totally sorted out [1][2]. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-54731724 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-54731724 [2] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/red-blood-cell-shortage-england-why https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/red-blood-cell-shortage-engla...
- GJim 2y ago
  Which is when the temp donation centres are set up to overcome such a shortage. There is still no need for payment (aka bribes) my capitalist friend.
Havoc 2y ago
> I do not know a single heathy person who hasn't voluntarily donated blood at some time in their life. That sounds like a social circle thing. I’d be surprised if UK overall rate cracks 50%