Organ transplants and organ donation in Singapore have been an important and ongoing topic for decades now. If someone you know and love is in need of a kidney, or part of your liver, no doubt it wouldn\u2019t take too much coercion for you to get tested and see if you can help the person out; Not only to avoid hours upon hours of hardship on a daily basis as a result of dialysis treatment, but possibly to save a life. What if a total stranger needed a kidney, though? Would you be as generous then? Here, we\u2019ll look at how Singapore has been addressing the issue of organ donation. We\u2019ll also examine how the costs of organ transplants can be handled on both the recipient and donor ends of the transaction.<\/p>\n
Many years ago, when it came to organ donation in Singapore, the country had an opt-in system similar to that seen in many countries around the world, that required each individual to declare that their organs were eligible to be harvested for transplant should they die. However, the resulting dearth of donors forced the city-state to take action. In 1987 Singapore enacted a \u2018presumed consent law for organ donation\u2019, meaning that the previous system had been flipped on its head. Now, individuals would be presumed to consent with donating their heart, kidneys, liver and\/or corneas if they are deemed to be brain dead. People can opt out of the system, but short of that, every citizen and permanent resident of Singapore is considered to be an organ donor.<\/p>\n