NEWSPAPER reports on Sunday said detectives have arrested five members of a suspected human organ trafficking gang in the capital. They are exploiting the helpless condition of many poverty stricken people in rural areas, mainly in the northern districts. They are well connected with a section of surgeons, law enforcers, local touts, and mafia to lure the poor to sell their organ to patients who are in need of kidney plantation in exchange of a promise of handsome money. The practice grew sidetracking the notice of the law enforcers and also with some of their support to make illegal fortune. The recent exposure however makes it more urgent to check the business and destroy the gangs before they were able to destroy so many poor people by way of cheating.
Kidney trafficking is emerging as a lucrative business along with human trafficking, smuggling and drug peddling taking advantage of the break down of law and order in the country. Media reports shocked the nation in 2011 for the first time highlighting the massive scale of kidney business to supply patients at home and abroad. It narrated stories of over 200 poor men in 18 villages of the Joypurhat district who had sold their kidneys for money and then turned out to be permanently sick and in failing health. The report also exposed the network running the business using the cover of private clinics and such other health care facilities. Even some kidney removal and later plantation to patient’s body now take place in Kolkata to avoid legal hassle. The activities of the groups were restrained for some years but it appears that they made their debut in recent time.
Media reports quoted a detective officer who was involved in recent arrest of some gang members as saying that a victim was promised of a CNG autorickshaw as a source of permanent income, but he was cheated. They have also nabbed four members of a gang from Bangla Academy area and rescued a teenage boy from their trap. The gang members promised him Tk 20,000 for donating blood but their plan was to remove the kidney and then kill him to avoid any chaos.
In fact kidney donation and plantation are not totally illegal, but only limited to family members to save life of their dear ones. Commercial plantation is illegal but the traffickers are exploiting the demand for the organ as wealthy patients in critical condition offers whatever cost they call for it. On the other hand, they don’t pay the promised money to the donor; who end up often being totally cheated by them.
Kidney trafficking is emerging as a lucrative business along with human trafficking, smuggling and drug peddling taking advantage of the break down of law and order in the country. Media reports shocked the nation in 2011 for the first time highlighting the massive scale of kidney business to supply patients at home and abroad. It narrated stories of over 200 poor men in 18 villages of the Joypurhat district who had sold their kidneys for money and then turned out to be permanently sick and in failing health. The report also exposed the network running the business using the cover of private clinics and such other health care facilities. Even some kidney removal and later plantation to patient’s body now take place in Kolkata to avoid legal hassle. The activities of the groups were restrained for some years but it appears that they made their debut in recent time.
Media reports quoted a detective officer who was involved in recent arrest of some gang members as saying that a victim was promised of a CNG autorickshaw as a source of permanent income, but he was cheated. They have also nabbed four members of a gang from Bangla Academy area and rescued a teenage boy from their trap. The gang members promised him Tk 20,000 for donating blood but their plan was to remove the kidney and then kill him to avoid any chaos.
In fact kidney donation and plantation are not totally illegal, but only limited to family members to save life of their dear ones. Commercial plantation is illegal but the traffickers are exploiting the demand for the organ as wealthy patients in critical condition offers whatever cost they call for it. On the other hand, they don’t pay the promised money to the donor; who end up often being totally cheated by them.
It is no surprise that kidney traffickers are targeting the poor making lofty promises but the government is utterly failing to protect those people from falling into traps. The government is failing everywhere helplessly, so we ask the social leaders to do something about stopping the kidney business. Those who are poor and desperate will not be easily stopped just because it is risky. But they must be made aware of the risks and not be cheated and misled. We have to fight poverty.
