New paper proposes harvesting organs before MAID patients are declared dead

The proposal would allow organ retrieval to become the cause of death in some cases, prompting warnings that it could erode trust among organ donors.

Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash

A new academic paper is reigniting debate over “death by organ donation,” proposing organs be harvested from assisted-suicide patients before they are declared dead.

Current rules require patients to be declared dead before organ retrieval and prohibit doctors from causing death through procurement.

But the authors argue the growing acceptance of voluntary euthanasia has changed the ethical calculus, as first reported by the National Post.