Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
JANDALA, Pakistan - Nassem Kausar has done it. So, she says, have her sister, six brothers, five sisters-in-law and two nephews. Each has sold a kidney to a trade that has led Pakistan’s media to dub the country a “kidney bazaar.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061112/ap_on_he_me/pakistan_kidney_bazaar
How do you guys feel about this story please comment?
Re: Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
^ unfortunately its very very sad and its happening in almost all poor countries, people sell kidneys, blood etc.
Re: Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
This also happens in hindu india
Re: Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
it is really very sad. Pasey kay lyee kuch bhee karay ga ...
Re: Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
it is unfortunate, but these "paisay ke liye kuchh bhee karay ga" is not really as much applicable to larger population who do that, mainly they are need-driven, they need money badly for other necessities of life hence sell their parts to fulfill the other needs i.e. feed children, pay for sick family member etc.
Re: Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
It's really sad but that's poverty for you, what can you do except donate a bit more to charity? :(
Just for warning. it's not a good idea buying them from Pak or any third world country, a lot of these people are drug addicts and carry many fatal diseases due to shared needles. I know a guy who was on dialysis go to Pakistan for a kidney transplant, his body rejected it and he got AIDs.
Re: Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
This also happens in hindu india. I'll try to find some articles.
Re: Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
SyedAbdullah, why are you interested in article about India? This is a problem and we should discuss that, I don't think anyone is suggesting that its only in Pakistan.
Re: Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
I think Syed Abdullah is Nicholas John posing as a Paki.
Re: Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
The situation is worse in India.
For years, India has been known as a “warehouse for kidneys” or
a “great organ bazaar” and has become one of the largest centers
for kidney transplants in the world, offering low costs and
almost immediate availability. In a country where one person out
of every three lives in poverty, a huge transplant industry arose
after drugs were developed in the 1970’s to control the body’s
rejection of foreign objects. Renal transplants became common in
India about thirteen years ago when the anti-rejection drug
cyclosporine became available locally. The use of powerful
immuno-suppressant drugs and new surgical techniques has
indirectly boosted the kidney transplant activities. The
dramatic success rates of operations, India’s lack of medical
regulations and an atmosphere of “loose medical ethics” has also
fueled the kidney transplant growth. The result has been that
“supply and demand created a marriage of unequals , wedding
wealthy but desperate people dependent on dialysis machines to
those in India grounded down by the hopelessness of
poverty”(Max). The pace of demand for kidneys hasn’t kept up
with the demand. Consequently, the poor and destitute, victims
of poverty, have either willingly sold their kidneys to pay for
a daughter’s dowry, build a small house or to feed their families
or have been duped or conned into giving up their kidneys
unknowingly or for very little sums of money. Ironically,
medical technology meant to advance and save human lives has been
abused to such lengths, that in some cases, it has resulted in
the death of innocent individuals.
Most countries require living donors to be family members, or
that organs must be removed from cadavers, usually accident
victims. Because of the stringent rules regarding organ
transplantation in other countries (specifically, that it is
illegal and unethical to remove kidneys from a live donor,
especially for money), and the shortage of kidneys, India has
become (along with China) an “international center” for the
transplantation of kidneys. Furthermore, until recently, with
the passage of the Organ Transplantation Act in 1994, there was
not any legislation prohibiting the sale of organs in India.
Due to the naiveness and desperation of poor, along with the fact
that donating a kidney isn’t particularly risky as it does not
impair one’s health, kidneys have become easily available in
India. Combined with low costs and the emergence of an illegal
kidney black market which caters to the kidney buyers from
around the world, many foreigners and the rich in India have
taken advantage of and benefitted from the kidney trade.
Only in January 1995, did the kidney scandal come to the surface
through a series of incidents which received wide media coverage
and prompted public outrage causing the Indian Congress to pass
legislation banning kidney trade. On January 15, 1995, Customs
officers in Delhi uncovered a “kidney tour” racket in which
donors were enticed to go abroad for removal and subsequent
transplant of their kidneys. Hundreds of donors were believed
to have gone on such kidney tours. On January 23, 1995 it was
discovered that residents of a rehabilitation colony
(Villivakkam) for leprosy patients near Madras, were found to
freely donate kidneys for money offered by agents. Then, on
January 29, 1995, police busted a massive racket in Banglore, in
which the kidneys of nearly 1,000 unsuspecting people had been
removed in a leading city hospital by prominent doctors. The
“donors” had been lured with offers of jobs and their kidneys
removed under the pretext or removing blood.
http://www.american.edu/TED/KIDNEY.HTM
Incidentally, doctors involved claim that it is not possible to
remove kidneys without the patient’s consent as it involves a
series of tests administered over a span of ten days. What’s
more, police were bombarded with a whole host of “victims”
claiming to have had their kidneys removed unknowingly or to have
been paid only a fraction of what they had been promised. In
another twist to this story, there were reported incidents were
“victims” blackmailed or harassed doctors to pay or face the
consequences. The kidneys were destined for patients from the
Middle East and Far East. A similar kidney racket was discovered
in a nursing home in Bombay soon after implementing a host of
people ranging from police, doctors, other medical personnel,
international kidney brokers and agents, consulate members etc.
As a result of the uncovering of this scandal, Parliament passed
a law to curb the kidney trade.
http://www.indiatogether.org/combatlaw/vol4/issue4/organ.htm
The Indian kidney bazaar
For decades India has been known as the ‘great organ bazaar’ and has become one of the largest centres for kidney transplants in the world. Dr. Sanjay Nagral traces the history of the organ market and the lack of medical ethics that has made it a thriving business.
Re: Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
Very sad.
Re: Poor Pakistanis donate kidneys for money
I have no clue why we always compare Pakistan with India. It wouldn't be very nice if we try to forget India for few seconds and think about Pakistan only.