This broadcast was a clear intention to mislead. The allegedly severley ill kidneydonor turned out to be an actress.
Despite the high attentiveness this broadcasting show has achieved, the end doesn’t justify the means ( to lead the attention towards organshortage, instead of the show).
A show, where critically ill people are craving to get an organ, while courting for public and organdonor sympathy, and where the organallocation is accomplished by SMS-rating, seems to be very unethical.
Organallocation is no game! The allocation-rules are based upon medical priority, medical benefit, waiting time and justice.
Once more, the attention for organdonation and transplantation has been called to negative headlines again.Therefore it’s highly preferable to show all the positive aspects, like presenting persons who have been transplanted, and delivering insight to their life stories.
We are convinced, that everybody needs to realise, that organdonation concerns everybody. And each one of us should be aware, that one day his name could appear on the waiting list, longing for a life saving organ.
The clear intention to mislead the public, while pretending this show is real, seemed to give a false impression, and is moreover a mediaethical problem.
How far are they allowed to lead the public astray, to increase their audience rate?
Public information about organdonation is important, but information alone is not enough to increase the donorrate. Only if, in all hospitals, enough ressources for donorwork would be provided ( donor detection, interviewing and supporting the relatives and organising the donation),so that the success of increasing donorrate, like in Spain, would take place in Switzerland, too.
Let’s aim at success along with the new Swiss law.
Swisstransplant
Conrad E. Müller, MD, MBA
Director