Crisis in Germany's organ transplantation system

摘要

Organ donation is an altruistic practice that relies on public trust in the medical profession and the existence of a fair, ethical system for organ allocation and transplantation. If this system breaks down, the consequences can be far-reaching as Germany is now witnessing. Last year, transplantation clinics in Gottingen, Regensburg, and Munich came under investigation following allegations that doctors had falsified patients' data. Last week, another scandal surfaced in Leipzig. Prosecutors opened a criminal investigation following allegations that doctors at the city's university hospital manipulated data to move their patients up the waiting list for donor organs.