The Irish Kidney Association (IKA) has criticised plans by a broadcaster in The Netherlands to host a reality TV show in which the winner gets a new kidney.
A terminally ill woman is planning to donate one of her kidneys to one of the show's three contestants, when it airs tonight.
The IKA said it fears major damage for organ donation and transplantation resulting from the discussion on the show. It backed a statement issued yesterday by the European Kidney Patients' Federation, in which it appealed to the participating patients to reflect whether their participation was really helpful in promoting organ donation.
"In the past, the main aim of such shows was moneymaking, TV ratings, quota and sensation. There is no time or place in these shows for ethical and other sensitive subjects," the statement said.
" The Donor Showwill initiate in the population a loss of trust in the organ-donation process and they will question whether all is handled correctly in transplantation medicine," it added
The television broadcaster BNN says it will go ahead with the show as it is trying to highlight the problem of low organ donor rates in The Netherlands.