Transplantation and Medicine Ethics in Turkey

Abstract

Our study is a pilot project to create a collaborative authoritative reference service using the collective expertise of reference organ donation. In Turkey, the code 2238 which is about "The Organ and Tissue Taking, Preserving and Transferring" enacted in 1979 and reorganized to cover the legality of the transplantation from the dead in 1982. Surely, the legal arrangements about the transplantation go hand in hand with the positive attitudes of the society and their willingness about the organ donation. In our country, although people perceived organ donation positively, the limited number of people who donate their organs make people to solve this problem within the family. It is seen that, rather than the conscious and willing participation in the process of the transplantation within the family, the altruism approach is adopted. That is to say, beyond the voluntaries of the person in the family, the feeling of the necessity to help make people donate organs. For this reason, it is observed that the person who donates an organ, experience depression and feel that she/he is incomplete. In this sense, the performance of the organ donation in respect of the ethical principles of the medicine is essential to prevent the health of the donators from physical, psychological and social negative effects. The reasons stated above shows that the training about the organ donation and the conscious and willing participation of the people who will donate organs should be provided in Turkey. In our research, a training practice has been done and a public survey has been conducted. Furthermore, the information has been given about the necessities and the importance of the organ donation to provide the participation of the appropriate people.