Black Market of Human Organs - Essay Example

November 5, 2008 Black Market of Body Parts (Human Organs) The advent of technology and modernization brought so muchhope to the sick and the dying patients. Many older men and women do not have to die unattended just because of impaired organs, for today it is easy to replace a liver, a kidney or even a heart that cannot function properly. Technology and innovations in medicine have made possible many alternatives to alleviate if not totally cure ailing patients through replacements of body parts or organ transplants. Handwerk (2004) reported that in 2002 alone, the U. S. doctors performed 24,900 life-saving organ transplants. Though there is the problem of waiting for the donors of organs, it is still heart-warming to know that so many lives are saved through such innovation. It provides a sense of security especially to older generation not to worry so much on the depreciation of their organs. It provides hope to all sick people to be cured from organ impairments. However, it is also alarming to note that in desperation of the families and those affected to prolong the lives of their patients they have become too impatient for donors and have become unmindful of the illicit trade of human organs. The society has become deaf and blind to the problem that confronts the world of medicine. Many do not even ask where the replacements for the 24, 900 organs must have come from. Not many are even aware that there is an illicit trade of human organs that dominates the world market today. It is the purpose of this paper then to discuss such shadowy organ dealings if only to enlighten the public what it takes for many people especially in the underdeveloped countries to provide the organs needed for the transplants. It is so unfortunate that out of the growing need of organ transplants, unscrupulous brokers also take advantage of the poor and the needy. This paper then intends to provide a picture on the widespread corrupt practices of organ traders in order to enlighten the public on the extent of the evilness of such trade. Why the donors are very much willing to sell their internal organs is another question. Could it be that these people feel so much compassion to the patients that they have to go to the point of risking their own lives just as they give their own internal organs? It is a known fact that there is an underground market of organs. Kidney largely dominates the selling as they are most in demand and because of the fact that a donor can survive without the other kidney. It has been reported that donors are willing to sell their internal organs to the highest bidders. In Great Britain, a kidney is worth 60,000 British pounds, a liver is worth 20,000, and a cornea is worth 20,000 (Maconachy, (2007). In Brazil, it was reported that willing donors from poor neighborhoods were flown to West Africa where organ transplants were performed on many patients from different nations including Israel. Accordingly, the patients paid as much as $100,000 for their new organs. (Handwerk, 2004). Others pay as much as $6,000.00 to their donors this is what McLaughlin, Prusher, and Downie, (2004) have documented from a donor who narrated his experience in West Africa: Palestinian men who sold their kidneys in Saddam Husseins Iraq after the first Gulf War got just $500 to $1,000….. In the slums of Manila, where corneas, livers, and lungs are also offered for sale, kidneys fetch about $2,000… Some Israeli organ donors have gotten $20,000,. And a few American sellers have gotten $30,000 to $50,000 for their kidneys. (McLaughlin, Prusher, & Downie, 2007). With such amount of money paid to a destitute donor, who would not be willing to sell his organ then? Having such big amount they may have a better future and a more hopeful life for their families who for so long wallow in extreme hunger. Maconachy reports: “People who agree to sell their organs may consider selling a liver in order to renovate the house. Poor families desperate to send a son or daughter to university, might be equally tempted. One man said he was doing it to purchase a home for relatives back in Pakistan (Maconachy, 2007). According to reports around 70,000 kidneys are needed for transplant each year and about 15,000 kidneys are trafficked each year and they mostly come from the poor, underprivileged and marginalized societies. They are sold domestically or exported to the first world countries. Jane’s.com states that they mostly come from China, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Brazil, the Philippines, Moldova, and Romania which are among the worlds leading providers of trafficked organs. (Jane’s.com, 2008). While the patients are in dire need of the organs, the donors too are in desperation of the money in exchanged of the organ to feed their families. What is most sad, however, is the fact that donors do not receive the whole amount of money. They do not even have the idea how much money the patients paid for the organ they have given up in exchanged for the money. This is because the brokers get the most percentage of the money paid for the internal organ. Aside from the selling of internal organs by poor people there is still another form of black market of human organs. Oliver (2008) states that there are three ways that black market get organs: (1) donation for a price; (2) stealing from a cadaver; and (3) removal of organs from people who “consented” donation which is presumed lawful in some countries. If in the Philippines, Bangladesh and other countries are most noted for selling organs from live donors, China is known for harvesting and selling organs from their executed prisoners for substantial profit. This is what Coonan (2006) stressed in an article: “Hundreds of well-off Japanese and other nationals are turning to Chinas burgeoning human organ transplant industry, paying tens of thousands of pounds for livers and kidneys, which in some cases have been harvested from executed prisoners and sold to hospitals” Da (2006) made a shocking revelation of Sujiatun Concentration Camp in China when he wrote that Falun Gong practitioners were a cheap source of black market organs. Da wrote that they hired medical doctors to removed the organs and cremate the bodies to hide their secrets: Currently, Shenyang has many corpse factories and private hospitals purchasing human organs for resale on the international market. The Sujiatun concentration camp has shifted more than 6,000 Falun Gong practitioners and gathered some doctors for the organ removal surgery. In order to eliminate potential evidence, the bodies are cremated. While many reports on the black market organ scandals in China the China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson states that “It is a complete fabrication... to say that China forcibly takes organs from the people given the death penalty for the purpose of transplanting them (Qin Gang, as cited BBC News, 2008). Not only China but also India had so many controversies on organ black market. There are many reports indicating that India had its 52 hospitals under investigation for the broadest crack down on illegal sales of organ (www.wired.com) It is unhealthy and unethical to remove an organ from a live donor for money. And yet it is barbaric to steal the organ of a dead person for profit. The body is sacred and no way should it be mutilated for money. The sale of body and body parts are prohibited. This is stipulated in the National Organ Transplant of 1984 (NOTA) 142 U. S. C. A. Sec. 274e (1988, as cited in Palmer 1999) which states: (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly acquire, receive, or otherwise transfer any human organ fro valuable consideration for use in human transplantations if the transfer effects interstate commerce. (b) Any person who violates subsection (a) shall be fined not more than$50,000 or imprisoned not more that five years or both. However, as there are many patients who are waiting and hopeful for the compassion of others to live a little more, it is important to draw the line on how transplant should be done. Palmer (1999) suggested four models in the commercialization of body parts: (1) the Schwindth-vining model where the government would act as the exclusive buyer of transplantable organs; (2) the Hansmann model where the buyer of transplantable organs would be large health-insurance corporations; (3) the Cohen model where the buyer could be the government or a private entrepreneur; and (4) Crespi model which does not specify whether the buyer is the government or a private entity. Any which way the organ is sold, it is still illegal, immoral, and unethical. The governments of the different nations, the human rights organizations and the people must be united to fight against such crime that illustrates disrespect of the sanctity of the human body. It is unhealthy to remove body part in living humans. It is barbaric to steal the organs of the dead. It is cheating to presume that it is right to remove an organ to those who are presumed willing to donate. The three methods of obtaining organs should be stopped. It is urgent therefore that legislations be passed that would penalize the offenders especially the brokers who take advantage of others’ deplorable plight to enrich themselves. The black market on human organs must not only be condemned but it must be put to an end. Every one that involves himself must be punished by the government if only to stop this business that has been the source of millions of money for many businessmen and brokers but has not even alleviated the poor conditions of those who sell their body parts. The greed of these brokers must put to an end so that the poor no longer have to suffer from their pains of losing their organs for the amount they have not even got hold of. Works Cited: BBC News. “China Bans Transplant Organ Sales.” 28 March 2006. BBC News. 5 November 2008 < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4853188.stm> Coonan, Clifford. “Japan’s Rich Buy Organs from Executed Chinese Prisoners,” 21 March 2006. The Independent. 5 November 2008,< http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia /japans-rich-buy-organs-from-executed-chinese-prisoners-470719.html> Da, Ji. “Exposing Shocking Horror Inside Sujiatun Concentration Camp,” 11 March 2006. Epoch Times. 5 November 2008 < http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-3-11/39169.html> Handwerk, Brian. “Organ Shortage fuel Illicit Trade in Human Parts,”16 January 2004, National Geographic Ultimate Explorer, 4 November 2008 < http://news.nationalgeographic.com /news/2004/01/0116_040116_ EXPLorgantraffic.html> Jane’s.com. “Organ Trafficking: A Fast –Expanding Black Market. 05 March 2008. Jane’s.com 5 November 2008 < http://www.janes.com/news/publicsafety/jid/jid080305_1_n.shtml> Maconachy, Aidan "The Black Market in Human Organs." The Black Market in Human Organs. 13 Feb. 2007. EzineArticles.com. 5 Nov 2008 . Mclaughlin, Abraham, Prusher, Ilen R. and Downie, Andrew “What is a Kidney Worth?” 09 June 2004. Christian Science Monitor. 5, November 2005 < http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0609/p01s03-wogi.html> Oliver, Joe. “Black Market Organ Trade is Real” 16 September 2008. Socyberty.com , 5 November 2008, < http://www.socyberty.com/Crime/Black-Market-Organs.255933> Palmer, Louis J. Organ Transplants from Executed Prisoners: An Argument for the Creation of Death Sentence Organ Removal Institutes. MC Farland Publications, 1999. 4, November 2008 Wired.com. Black-Market Scandal Shakes Indias Ban on Organ Sales. 5 September 2008. Wired .com. 5 November 2008 < http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2007/05/ india_transplants_main> CANCER IS THE DISEASE OF THE OLD Topic:  Cancer is a disease of the old   Instructions: Discuss the statment. should outline the basis of cancer as well as the possible treatments. Please use simple language, and no fancy english. minimum 15 reference. and please use only journals. Please use an approved reference style, use one consistency throughout the essay, and include the title of the articles. ofcourse no copying from any source unless quoted from the source. Read More