In Filipino organ trade, poor sell kidneys
MANILA: Nilda Reyes winced as she lifted a chair to give to a customer in her small neighbourhood store that is also her home in Manila’s slum district of Tondo.
The widowed 36-year-old mother of two admitted that she still feels pain from her side, almost five months since she donated one of her kidneys to an unknown recipient.
But for Reyes, it was all worth it.
“I don’t feel pain all the time,” she said as she showed her scar that stretches from her navel to her back. “And when I do, it’s very tolerable anyway. The inconvenience is a small thing compared to what I got in return for donating my kidney.”
For her donation, Reyes received a “package of gratuity” that included 100,000 pesos ($2,270) in cash, livelihood assistance of up to 75,000 pesos, a life insurance worth 100,000 pesos and a 10-year health care plan that also covers her family.
Using the money she received, Reyes put up her neighbourhood store and was preparing to open an eatery in another location.
“Of course, I also wanted to help those who are sick,” she said.
“But money was the biggest factor in my donation.”
With millions of Filipinos living on less than $1 a day, the Philippines has become one of the world’s “hotspots” for organ harvesting with foreign recipients paying as much as $30,000 for new kidneys.
Due to high demand, illegal brokers prey on poor Filipinos who are forced to sell their kidneys and other organs for fast cash.
In Tondo’s Baseco area, where hundreds of male residents have already sold their kidneys in the black market, many more are willing to make the risky deal for the cash.
“My wife and I decided it’s our only option now,” said a 28-year-old house painter, who was waiting for word from a broker about the sale of one of his kidneys. “We really need the money, I don’t have a stable job and my wife earns very little doing laundry.”
The father of three admitted he feared the consequences to his health, adding, “We haven’t told our children because they might object. But I will be assuring their future with this deal. I can give them a better future.”
But not all donors get a happy ending like Reyes, who gave up her kidney under a government organ donation programme that aims to ensure that donors also get proper health care before and after the operation.
In a study by the Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN) of a cluster of donors in a province southeast of Manila, many of those who sold their kidneys were found to be suffering from various medical problems, such as hypertension and above-normal creatinine levels.
In one case, a 50-year-old man died from a heart attack just a few months after he sold his kidney for 110,000 pesos.
The PSN noted that while foreign recipients pay a huge amount for new kidneys, most of the money is pocketed by brokers, including doctors, who find the donors and convince them to donate. Donors only receive about $3,000 for a kidney.
In 2007, a total of 1,046 kidney transplants were conducted in the Philippines, up from 690 in 2006, according to the Philippine Renal Registry.
More than 50% of the recipients were foreigners in 2007, violating a 10-per-cent cap on the number of transplants to foreign recipients that was imposed in 2003. More than 80% of the donors were not related to the recipients.
In March, the Department of Health issued new guidelines banning all organ transplants to foreigners in a bid to curb the thriving black market in the trade of organs in the country.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque acknowledged that the ban could lead to more illegal organ sales, but expressed confidence that the move was a necessary step towards curbing the illicit trade.
“This should not be the only step we take,” he said. “We need strict enforcement of law and I’m sure that will lessen if not stop the illegal peddling of human organs.”
But just two months after the ban was imposed, the Department of Health came under fire when its National Transplant and Ethics Committee issued exemptions for nine Israeli patients to undergo kidney transplants in the Philippines.
Duque said the exemption was given for “humanitarian reasons.”
The PSN warned the exemption was setting a bad precedent, while Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral chided health officials for allowing the foreigners to again prey on poor Filipinos. – DPA
it is obvious that the above posted thread implies anything unhealthy to feel for the mentioned race...
coz if a poster has an initiative for posting such just to tackle and let others get info and ecxhange ideas over it, at least he may put an introductory words just allowing else readers to talk and discuss issues...
this is so sad... since mostly ... by just merely copying and pasting ... an implicit impact attached behind it arise... as it happens as this news outlines burst out bold statements of a sad truth...
so make an introductory so it might feedback a stimulative brainstorming...
~~~proud to be from where i was i shall return with~~~
http://www.thelandofpromise.com/southcot/0soc-index.html
although a thread isn't as harsh threat to any bunch of Qliers here yet behind those expositions are the matters implies bad impact specifically to the mentioned group...
think twice before you post... be professional enough ... give respect... nuetralize a topic or else it may end a troll....
~~~proud to be from where i was i shall return with~~~
http://www.thelandofpromise.com/southcot/0soc-index.html
[just curious?? what's your "REAL" purpose of writing and posting this in the main forum and not in the fil. expat forum?? you wanted to tell everyone?? or just merely posting anything just to earn points??]
so what's so insulting about this phrase?? this is an honest to goodness question...besides if you read carefully, this is in the form of a question for him and not a statement for abynel telling him directly that he posted this for earning points!
sweetypie, READ & UNDERSTAND carefully!
britexpat, i agree with you that this has nothing against the Filipinos..this shows that you have a good & broad perspective in life
it's so sad to see untoward post regarding our race
never give up...
someonenew, these people are greedy...its all about money! they forget about ethics...
some victims actually die from this...
I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it. ~Charles Schulz
To me , this posting is not against Filipinos.. It just highlights a problem we all need to be aware of..
People in developing nations all over the world are being coerced into "selling" their kidneys for money and promise of a better future..
Perhaps, they should be allowed to mdo so. I don't know.. However, they should be protected against unscrupulous dosctors and agents , who prey on them..
just merely telling that she just want to earn points is already an insult, you are just being rude my dear!!!!!!
Its really sad that people who have taken an oath to take care of people to the best of their ability can actually do things like this.. really make me sad and here we are fighting abt points:)
I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown
tell me, how did i insult Qlers??
never give up...
i've read that one someonenew and seen some of the video of this Indian Doctor.. he was taking away kidneys of poor laborers who just come to his hospital for medical and will be surprised to wake up with stiches, kidneys taken out already.. :/
[img_assist|nid=12867|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
At least the people are giving their kidneys with their own knowledge. There are doctors and hospitals in India that steal poor people's kidneys- admit them for some silly reason and take their kidney away. Imagine how bad can that be.
I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown
and so what!!!! i am proud to be a FILIPINO!!!!!!
britexpat, there's no hiding..it's a worlwide fact and knowledge..
alecs, there's nothing to be defensive of..
i'm just trying to find out his "real" reason for posting it here..also not everybody is going to take this topic as a topic to be discussed in a "broad perspective"..for some people, they are just waiting for another topic to say something bad about Filipinos..As for me, if you can't say something nice, why post something that's not nice?? besides as doha_astig have mentioned, Filipinos are becoming the spotlight in the news..
abynel, being a Filipino yourself, don't you feel sad about this??
never give up...
please try not to insult qlers, we are here as friends and give opinions and ideas. with your behavior i thnk i will not post any topic ,because i dont want to be attack , if you are not interested with the topic
what is sad about this is some 3rd party are making money out of it. and not all donors are given proper care. poverty has pushed people to the limits. some other donate their blood for money...
I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it. ~Charles Schulz
yes organ trading is very common in rural india also.
and the worst part is local doctors are the agents who help in this trading with foreigners for bulk of money.
some times poor patients dont even make out that one of there organ is missing frm there body,and sometimes they will deal it for some money.
to overcome this problem i think we must encourage
Organ donation.
it's a person's prerogative... and come to think that the filipino mentioned in the article only sell her organ, kidney to be precise but there are some (not filipinos though) who even sell their whole-self even soul for that matter...
you could check on ebay, i suppose...
oh, btw, there's nothing wrong on posting infos(here)... but it will always made some (bad) impression when there's a particular group mentioned... it's been proven here, so maybe it's only that 8rmcj8 wish to convey.
oh, yeah, it's all about education... but then again are we that educated?
guess, it's only those who read it here to decide...
...Warning, you've been Hacked!
indeed doha_astig.. but one thing i will say.. my kidneys are mine.. all mine.. :D
[img_assist|nid=12867|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
.
geez filipinos are getting the spotlight in the news these days..the other post featured an immigrant family leaving a small kid behind the airport in canada...then this one...lol filipinos are really a funny, twisted bunch...and i'm one too! lol :)
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away."
i don't see any irregularity here... abynel is simply sharing a public news. i could not understand why 8rmcj8 have to implode her reasoning for acting so defensive.
all countries have their own problems. accepting them encourages people to be part of the solution, rather being stuck with the problem by crying out mad..
thank you.. i almost thought i did something wrong.. i never really joined any forums like this especially am being consious on my english since most of you are from western countries..thank again....
I find your comment very strange. Why would you want to hide it?
By posting it to a general forum and discussing it, people may be informed that there is a 'trade in organs' and that donors actually suffer. Some , who are thinking of going to Phillipines / india or other places may think otherwise.
Its all about education.
ohh.. is there a forum for filipino here..am sorry am not aware of it.. i didnt post this to earn points what do i need it for.. yeah i think i need to widen my perspective in life thats why i posted this to get opinion and views from others and learn from it.. and this is a news form gulf time i just copy and paste it ..
just curious?? what's your "REAL" purpose of writing and posting this in the main forum and not in the fil. expat forum?? you wanted to tell everyone?? or just merely posting anything just to earn points??
because for sure if not all, plenty are aware that because of poverty, and not only in the Philippines but other striving countries also, people would do "anything" just to survive!
you may not call it decent but hey, stay real!!
at least they don't pester/harm anybody for them to survive! besides not all who do this thing is for money..
don't you ever consider that the person they have donated their kidneys may be a friend of them??
widen your perspective in life!!!
it was really sad that many of my fellow filipino have to do this to have a decent life..uhmm i really dont know if i have to call it decent..:'(
and many people are attracted to these especially kidneys since they can't find any donor in their home country.
poverty drives people to do many things. this practice is also prevailant in India.. The sad thing is that its usually the agents or the doctors who get the bulk of the money..