Human organ trade     

Human organ trade

Introduction

Selling and donation of human organs have become an emotive issue of concern in the transplant community. Many people in various countries perceive organ donation as a gift. Among family members, friends, and couples, the culture of organ donation is prominent. Many views as a way of showing concern to the loved ones. As a result, they end up sacrificing part of their organ, for instance, kidney to the close who is in need. However, some people have commercialized organ transplants and selling. Making this a business commodity endangers the lives of the vulnerable in society. Also, it leads to increased brutal murders to acquire organs. People just kill others because of the need for the organs to trade. Doctors may also intentionally contribute to the death of a patient so that they can extract the body tissue. According to the federal laws in countries like the United Kingdom, commercial dealing in human organs for transplantation is illegal. Although some states have legalized the business.

Society of organizations such as the World Health Organization has taken the initiative to enact measures for protecting the most susceptible group from tissue and organ trade. Organ merchandise has a lot of problems associated with its Danovitch et al., 2013). This paper analyzes the issues related to organ trade and how they affect the world society. The people from third world countries are the most vulnerable. The document has also proposed actions that need to be put into account buy decision-makers in attempting to curb the issue.

Problem-related to the sale of human organs

Most people in developed societies with failed organs travel to developing countries to seek organs. Moving overseas is a result of organ short globally. Most people prefer developing countries because of their vulnerability features. Most of these people suffer prominent illiteracy. Some donors do not even esquire about how the transplant will occur. Since they have been paid, they willingly give in without consulting on the medical problems they may result after that. Because of the application of unprofessional methods of extraction of the organ, for instance, the kidney, the donor develops health complications. The donor produces the tissue for money, but later, he or she spends all the cash for treatment and eventually dies. Many of these cases have been reported in developing countries and are still being reported. Third world societies lack the proper medical infrastructure to conduct such operations (Adhikari, 2016). Most of these countries have economic limitations to establish an appropriate transplant program. And also, there is a shortage of professionals in that field. The unprofessional engage in the operation because of money causing the complications. In some cases, both the donor and the receiver may lose their lives due to medical errors.

Unscrupulous health personnel and merchandisers with the need for money take advantage of the desperate receiver of the organ and the seller who needs money. People strive to find profit from organ trade since the market is guaranteed. They engage in human exploitation and other inhuman ways to acquire the cargo for the ready market. In some cases, doctors kill their patients and extract the organs before their bodies are taken to the mortuary. Due to the greed for many, the doctor does not consider the life of his or her patient valuable. Some doctors have become brokers of the same, conducting the trade overseas where the market is abundant. They continuously request the organs form their fellows in other hospitals to maintain a constant supply of the cargo. Others form gangs that gather and kidnap healthy people who are killed and the needed organ extracted from them. Many cases of missing people are being reported all over the world. Some are found with some parts of their bodies missing, and others are not found at all (Bowden, 2013). The killings are a result of the need for money by inhuman people. And as the market for the organs grows, such brutal murder will increase. Something is needed to be done to curb the issues.

Most countries, especially the developing societies, lack the proper medical infrastructure to conduct transplantation. Most of the healthcare facilities require essential equipment to carry such operations. Most of the attempted transplantations have resulted in the transferring of chronic diseases to the receiver, increasing his or her complications. For instance, the donor might be suffering from a particular illness; when the transplant, such as blood transfusion occurs without proper testing, the receiver conducts the disease. Also, due to the lack of modern hospital equipment, the operation results in death. The donor might die during surgery to obtain the organ (Dragiewicz, 2014). During implantation of the tissue in the body of the recipient, the receiver may die. This may be as a result of operation and equipment.

In most cases, the interests of the donor are not considered. It is required that after the transplant, the donor should be subjected to proper medical care until he or she heals up. Some are left without appropriate remedial medication, causing complications such as internal bleeding. Some even die after the operation to extract the organ. Moreover, the donors fail to find proper nutrition to help them heal, and as a result, they suffer from delayed healing.

 

In understanding the problem of organ trade, most of the donors are low-income people, with the majority living below the poverty line. Most of them are illiterate with no reasonable jobs, but manual low paid works.  They are targeted because of their need for money to pay debts and bills. For example, in Pakistan, because of poverty and slavery, many people decide to give out their kidneys so that they can free themselves. But even after freeing themselves, life becomes hard and is forced to debt again to survive. It is shameful for the individuals of a sovereign country to donate their body organs so that they can pay college fees, meet medical bills, and even credit card debts (Ambagtsheer et al., 2013). This means the majority of the donors don’t gain economic benefit from the sale of the organ; neither do they meet their needs. Some die during transplant. Also, some may succumb while healing after extraction of the organ. This may be due to the risks of surgery or improper care. The resulting problem is that the family loses their beloved one and remains in slavery. Some after the surgery fail to live their healthy lives because of the wounds developed by the operation. It becomes hard for them to continue with regular manual jobs. But of the side of the trader and the recipient, life becomes better. The broker gets money to push his or her life. Also, the recipient continues with his or her healthy life.

Actions to mitigate the problem

The above mention problems qualify organ trading as a world concern, and it should be handled with immediate effect. The world community should enact policies to help mitigate the issue of human organ trafficking. It is a problem that primarily benefits the few and hurts the majority of the vulnerable in society. The public should also stand and provide actions that will guide the entire process. If the measures are not taken, the weak will continue to suffer. The business for human organs and tissue will enlarge since it is snowballing. The rapid growth is a result of modern diseases with weaken body organs resulting in the need for a transplant. A large population will need an organ transplant. When the increases, the supply needs to add up, and as a result, the above-discussed problems associated with organ trade will rise (Budiani-Saberi & Columb, 2013).

We have a responsibility to protect individuals from the threats of organ trade. The donors need to be protected even if they willingly accept to donate the organ. Just like we have laws on the road to guard against accidents such as seatbelt laws and a motorcycle helmet, and such should be in the case of organ trade. Addressing this issue, we should base on the organization and regulation. The world community should create an ethical market for human organ trade. The market will regulate and protect the donor’s exploitation and ensure justice and equity to the recipient. We should create a market where one buyer receives the products of several donors. The buyer will be responsible for organ screening for infections and ensure equal distribution of the tissues to the needy (Gunnarson & Lundin, 2015).

Additionally, the government should take the initiative to control organ trade. Permission to conduct implantation should only be given by the government to a particular hospital. The hospital will be responsible for ensuring the safety of the donor. This will include during and after the transplant and also guard against seller exploitation. The hospital will also conduct transactions and give the donor the agreed amount to the organ. In case any other hospitals may attempt to perform the surgery without legal permission from the government of provincial authority, the culprits will suffer law punishment. Such actions will help mitigate against illegal black market in human organs.

Additionally, the hospital permitted to conduct the operations should be appropriately equipped with the required facilities and skilled personnel (Kelly, 2013). This will help prevent medical errors during surgery. Finally, the governments of vulnerable societies, especially the developing countries, should support their people. The government should provide opportunities to its people that can help then meet their needs. This may reduce their vulnerability to organ trade.

 

Conclusion

Human organ trafficking resulting from organ trade has resulted in many problems. The problems mostly affect the desperate and vulnerable society. Developing countries are the most targeted population. Because they are illiterate and suffer from poverty. The paper has examined the problems resulting from organ trade, such as; killing people to obtain the tissue, exploiting the needy and desperate seller, and surgical errors that may occur during transplantation. The document has also suggested measures to be taken to reduce the problem. Some of the proposed actions are to create a single market. It will receive the organs from all sellers and be responsible for the safety. The market will also guard against exploitation. Additionally, laws should be enacted to regulate the donation of organs and, finally, provision and equipping the responsible hospitals with required facilities and skilled personnel. If these measures are taken into account, the problem will be mitigated.

Reference

Danovitch, G. M., Chapman, J., Capron, A. M., Levin, A., Abbud-Filho, M., Al Mousawi, M., & Jha, V. (2013). Organ trafficking and transplant tourism: the role of global professional, ethical standards—the 2008 Declaration of Istanbul. Transplantation, 95(11), 1306-1312.

Adhikari, B. (2016). Organ and human trafficking in Nepal. The Lancet, 387(10031), 1907.

Bowden, J. (2013). Feeling Empty: Organ Trafficking & Trade: The Black Market for Human Organs. Intercultural Hum. Rts. L. Rev., 8, 451.

Dragiewicz, M. (Ed.). (2014). Global human trafficking: Critical issues and contexts. Routledge.

Ambagtsheer, F., Zaitch, D., & Weimar, W. (2013). The battle for human organs: organ trafficking and transplant tourism in a global context. Global Crime, 14(1), 1-26.

Budiani-Saberi, D., & Columb, S. (2013). A human rights approach to human trafficking for organ removal. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, 16(4), 897-914.

Gunnarson, M., & Lundin, S. (2015). The complexities of victimhood: Insights from the organ trade. Somatechnics, 5(1), 32-51.

Kelly, E. (2013). International organ trafficking crisis: Solutions addressing the heart of the matter. BCL, Rev., 54, 1317.