'Health risks of losing a kidney aren't that high . . . I would sell it'

STUDENTS have given a mixed response to the suggestion they should be able to sell a kidney to pay off their debts.

Louise Lumsden, 19, from Perth, who attends Strathclyde University, said: "I hate to say that I'd do anything like that in the name of money, but considering the health risks after having a kidney removed aren't that high and the financial state right now, I probably would."

Megan Innes, 19, from Falkirk, who attends Dundee University, said she felt that being paid for an organ could cause "disastrous effects".

"Many students are facing debt as they choose to live a party lifestyle. Therefore, removing one of their kidneys could be a life-threatening 'solution' to debt if they continue to live this way," she said.

"A lot of young students wouldn't take into consideration the consequences of their actions and would see selling a kidney as a fast solution to a long-term problem. However, I do feel that with the right information and donor criteria in place that payment for a kidney could be great for the NHS and save lives."

However, Euan Mullan, 20, from London, who attends Edinburgh University, said: "I wouldn't get any surgery done that I didn't need. Loads of things can go wrong."

And asked whether she would consider selling a kidney, Charlotte Manson, 21, from Perth, who attends Glasgow University, said: "No way. I think that all students are able to work either full time or part time to gain an income."