Dutch organ TV show a hoax

AMSTERDAM – A Dutch reality show in which a supposedly dying woman had to pick one of three contestants to receive her kidneys was revealed as a hoax on Friday.

Identified only as ‘Lisa’, the 37-year-old woman turned out to be a healthy actress but the three candidates were genuine kidney patients, details the show’s producers revealed in the last minutes of the ‘The Big Donorshow’. “Their life is bitter reality,” the presenter said, after revealing the deception at the moment when Lisa was to have made her life-saving choice.The show, co-produced by makers of ‘Big Brother’ Endemol, had said its aim was to focus attention on a chronic need for donor organs but it was condemned by the Dutch prime minister ahead of transmission and sparked controversy worldwide.”I think you can make a show like this one once.Nobody else can do a show like this,” said Paul Roemer, head of Endemol Netherlands.”For me, it already worked.Tonight, we had 12 000 applications for donor cards.”Dutch Education Minister Ronald Plasterk hailed the show as a ‘fantastic stunt’ and an intelligent way to draw attention to the shortage of organs.However Kuik Bas, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, said: “This is not the proper way to get more donors.”The Netherlands has one of the lowest donor rates in Europe, according to data compiled by the country’s Health Council.About 40 000 patients are waiting for an organ transplant across the EU.The mortality rate while waiting for a heart, liver or lung transplant is between 15 and 30 per cent.Nampa-Reuters”Their life is bitter reality,” the presenter said, after revealing the deception at the moment when Lisa was to have made her life-saving choice.The show, co-produced by makers of ‘Big Brother’ Endemol, had said its aim was to focus attention on a chronic need for donor organs but it was condemned by the Dutch prime minister ahead of transmission and sparked controversy worldwide.”I think you can make a show like this one once.Nobody else can do a show like this,” said Paul Roemer, head of Endemol Netherlands.”For me, it already worked.Tonight, we had 12 000 applications for donor cards.”Dutch Education Minister Ronald Plasterk hailed the show as a ‘fantastic stunt’ and an intelligent way to draw attention to the shortage of organs.However Kuik Bas, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, said: “This is not the proper way to get more donors.”The Netherlands has one of the lowest donor rates in Europe, according to data compiled by the country’s Health Council.About 40 000 patients are waiting for an organ transplant across the EU.The mortality rate while waiting for a heart, liver or lung transplant is between 15 and 30 per cent.Nampa-Reuters