Tours Medical School proposes a reform for more ethics and transparency

In 2019, Express revealed the degrading treatment of corpses given to the Paris Center. A scandal caused donations of the body to the flag to fall everywhere in France. Tours & its partners’ medical school is now proposing a reform to improve supervision.

In 2019, the Body Donation Center at the University of Paris Descartes made headlines. An Express investigation just revealed a decline in treatment intended for those who gave their bodies to science, in A. “A mass grave in the heart of Paris.” The bodies were left to rodents and the commercial or mixed parties .. Investigations reveal the absence of morals, but also Hierarchical rigidity From the University of Paris Descartes.

This week, to readEmbed a Tweet:

Donating body for science: a mass grave in the heart of Paris https://t.co/AN9TUqkc5N

– Anne Guan (@ JouanAnne1) November 26, 2019

“Respond to one’s will to remain useful after death.” The ethical contract of medicine

Revelations of these unacceptable practices had such a major impact on public opinion that it caused a decrease in the number of body donations to science, according to Tours University. The medical faculty cooperated with other universities as well as associations of donor families to propose reforming the donation of the body, Defended in Release Written by Professor Patrice Deut, Dean of the College.

The report of their working group reviews the history of donating the body to science, which gradually and completely replaced the practice of medicine on the bodies of those convicted of torture, then the destitute who died without beds and donated by hospitals. This gift, the last service to mankind, “Encourages an ethical contract binding the deceased and the practitioners: in response to their desire to remain useful after death, the practitioner and the institutions that benefit from it are obligated that they cannot be compensated at all stages, from the registration of the donor to the caretakers, for their use and for their purposes. Compensation for their funerals.” Seriously write the signers on the platform.

TRIBUNE – Donating a Body: The Fundamental Fix

Giving the Body to Science: A group of clinicians and families advocate that this fundamental research work be surrounded by morality and dignity. https://t.co/iWlthxqAOQ

– version (libe) April 12, 2021

Six proposals for a more ethical donation

This report, prepared on behalf of the French Medical College of Anatomy Teachers, assesses the body donation in France in 2020. While in general, the Paris Descartes case is very isolated, it should act as a lever. Improving and harmonizing national practices of the Working Group, which is presenting six proposals.

• Establishing a national center for donating bodies

The 28 organization donation centers in France today are separate entities, not of the same legal form, the same method of administration, or the same economic model. The working group of Tours College proposes to create a national center responsible for coordinating the practice in the region, in particular creating a single file to identify and track the trajectory of the remains.

• An economic model stipulated in the law

Today, donation centers operate either thanks to their university endowments, to the generosity of the public, or even to the bills for activities that take place in their laboratories. Finding funding could boost drift, anatomy professors believe. Several solutions will have to be explored, [notamment] Funding by the community, donating to the authority to provide service to the nation through training of health professionals.

Donating Body for Science: What Does the Law Say? #association https://t.co/TObBTL5TeL

– Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro) 28 November 2019

The participation of families, which is already in practice today, can be made sustainable. Her motive, among other things, is to prevent body donation ‘For economic reasons only’ This means avoiding costly funerals.

Whichever model is chosen, it must be enshrined in law, otherwise, body donation centers (CDC) will gradually disappear or even disappear.

• Do not leave the field open for private companies

“The principle of non-commodification of the human body or its parts must be strictly adhered to. In particular, any use of anatomical parts should be prohibited from donating a body that has resulted in compensation to the donor or its beneficiaries.” The working group begins with its third proposal.

With regard to the workshops organized within the laboratories, which are specifically aimed at advancing biomedical research, they should be “Under strict supervision.” The quality of the speakers must be monitored and ethical principles are respected. Finally, the invoices for the workshop can only relate to the provision of buildings, personnel, and equipment.

To avoid the commercialization of this activity, the income from this work will be redirected exclusively to research and teaching.

Business survey #rich in the United States of America Embed a Tweet 💉💰https://t.co/qdVhkBOLxr pic.twitter.com/szyWNPoqz8

– Le Figaro Santé (LeFigaro_Sante) February 23, 2017

• An authority to reinforce moral norms

Once the CDCs are formed into a network around a National Center, the local councils will be responsible for ensuring this “For the exclusive use of the authorities in research and educational activities.”

Ensure anonymity and traceability “Especially if you leave the lab.” It will be part of their job, as well as handing the partial ashes to the family, according to the wishes of the donor.

• Promote donation center employees

“The authority donation depends on technical and administrative employees who are little recognized, without career prospects, and sometimes subject to little supervision.”Regrets the inventory process carried out by the Working Group. These conditions may have favored some of the drifts observed in Paris Descartes, according to Investigation report published in March 2020, Known as the “Courrèges Report”.

However, working for the CDC requires specific skills. Administrative personnel, especially responsible for receiving families, must face death every day, deal with pain, and know funeral regulations in order to inform families. The technical staff responsible for preserving and preparing dead bodies for working sessions often receive and frequently receive embalming training. For biological, chemical and mechanical hazards.. The psychological weight of their work environment is not taken into account in their wages.

So practitioners and donor families want to upgrade their certification, and create employee validation training.