Ethical issues in Kidney Transplantation and “An” Islamic perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v20i2.51530Keywords:
kidney transplantation; ethical issues; public opinion; Islamic perspective; Organ donation euthanasiaAbstract
Kidney transplantation (KT) is currently the most realistic treatment option for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) as it enables them to live longer and provides better quality of life post-transplantation. Before the 1960s, all these patients would die as there was no treatment available. It is the commonest solid organ transplantation carried out in the world at the moment. Organs are harvested from living or cadaveric donors, with living kidney donor organs generally functioning better and for longer periods of time compared to the latter. Issues surrounding organ transplantation in general and kidney transplantation in particular, are fraught with ethical dilemmas due to the shortage of organs, the logistics behind the acquisition of organs, use of living donors including minors and the black market that has sprouted thereof. Entwined in this quagmire are the legal, social and psychological consequences for the individuals involved and the society at large. It is further compounded by religious concerns, which have a significant influence on the society’s acceptance of the practice of organ donation. The practice of organ transplantation is generally accepted by most Islamic scholars as it is concordant to the objectives of Islamic Law (maqasid al Sharī’ah) which prioritize the preservation of human life. However, resistances do arise from some jurists and even physicians of the same Islamic faith despite a fatwas decreeing that organ and tissue transplantations are permissible in Islam under certain conditions. The take-up of organ-donation is still largely poor especially among Muslims. This article therefore hopes to explore the various moral and ethical issues surrounding KT as well as the Islamic viewpoints emanating from it. We hope that this knowledge and understanding will benefit both health-care personnel and the public in general.
Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.20(2) 2021 p.241-249
Downloads
46
54
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish in the Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science agree to the following terms that:
- Authors retain copyright and grant Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science the right of first publication of the work.
Articles in Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License CC BY-4.0.This license permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as greater citation of published work.