Illegal Organ Trade In India

Hello everyone, thank you for taking time off your busy schedule to attend my talk today. I would like to raise awareness of the illegal organ trading, and at the same time, appeal to the government to step up measures and I hope that a legislature will be set up so that the traders will be apprehended. For years, India has been known as a "warehouse for kidneys" or a "great organ bazaar" and has become one of the several countries that operate kidney transplants. It has attractive low costs and almost immediate availability. In a country where poverty is widespread, 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 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" have also stimulated the kidney transplant growth.



The pace of demand for kidneys hasn't kept up with the demand. Consequently, it is only a matter of time before the poor and destitute, victims of poverty
, have all sold their kidneys to make quick and fast buck. Some have even been duped or conned into giving up their kidneys unknowingly or for very little sums of money. One man claimed that he went for a checkup and was anesthetically doused. He woke up with a stitch on his stomach, which the doctor claimed to have helped to remove a stone. To his horror, a few days later, he realized that his kidney had been stolen and the doctor had fled.

It’s a shame, isn’t it? Ironically, advance medical technology meant to save human lives had been abused to such lengths that it had resulted in the death of so many innocent individuals. I am very appalled at these unscrupulous traders who are out to make dirty money. Are they able to sleep peacefully at night in their luxurious mansion?

I believe that the government has a vital and critical role to play to ensure that such criminals are severely punished to serve as deterrence. A legislature, comprising key government and health personnel, should be put in place to mete out their rightful punishments. The legislature should spell out clearly the rules and regulations of organ transplants and that under what circumstances would organ-trading be allowed. It is imperative that we send out the right message to these “criminals”. Thank you.