Now When People In New York Call 911, Two Ambulances Come . . . One To Save Them, the Second To Harvest Their Organs If the First One Fails

Medical officials in New York say they've been grappling with the ethical and legal implications of this next story for months.  Personally, I think they should've grappled a little longer.

 --Yesterday New York City started testing a new 911 program.  If you call 911 to report someone dying, TWO ambulances will be dispatched to the scene.

 --The paramedics on the first ambulance will try to save the person, as usual.  If they fail, that's when the second ambulance jumps in.  That crew's job is to move in quickly on the corpse to SAVE and HARVEST THE ORGANS.

 --Usually, when a patient dies outside a hospital, their organs are unusable, because too much time has passed since their heart stopped beating.  This new program will reduce that lag time.

--All that being said . . . this plan still sounds both INSANE and FRIGHTENING . . . not to mention the demeaning thought of an ambulance of vultures swooping in on your body right there in your own house.

 --Medical officials in New York recognize that, but they say these programs have been successful in Europe . . . and could save a lot of lives.

 --They're also setting up safeguards:  You have to be a registered organ donor for them to take your organs . . . the police will have to confirm you're not a crime victim before the organs are taken . . . and your family has to give consent. 

 (New York Times)