“TRANSPLANT TOURISM”: THE INDIAN PERSPECTIVE OF AN INTERNATIONAL PANDEMIC
Keywords:
Organ failure, Organ donation, Organ transplantation, Transplant tourismAbstract
The only hope for a patient suffering from organ failure is transplantation from a healthy donor and advances in the medical field have enabled the use of several organs for transplant purposes. Harvesting / retrieval of organs from the Non Heart-Beating Donors (NHBDs) is the most common method for procuring organs like eyes, kidneys, liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs, heart, etc. However, of all these organs, kidneys are the most commonly transplanted organs as they are the ones that can be procured even from the living. Since a person can survive with a single kidney, people in the underdeveloped and developing countries are lured into selling them to a wealthy recipient, usually from the oil rich Middle-East Countries or the West. This has led to a newer concept in the tourism world- “Transplant Tourism”. Wealthy recipients come to preplanned destinations for the purpose of transplantation where organs, particularly kidneys, procured illegally from the poor are transplanted for huge profits. The donors, who are usually impoverished and illiterate, are robbed off both their organs and just due.
References
Sushrut Samhita Sl / 17.
Transplant tourism on the rise, says WHO. April 01, 2007. http://www.healthtome.blogspot.com/2007/04/ donor-shortage-leads-to-transplant-tourism.html. Accessed 10th July 2013.
Barry DK. Preface to horizons in organ transplantation. Surgical Clinics of North America. 1994 74(5): xiii.
Matas AJ. The case for living kidney sales: rationale, objections and concerns. Am Jr Transplantation. 2004; 4: 2007-2017.
Cornwell J W, Cornwell RW. Organ trafficking: unintended consequences: organ transplantation, organ trafficking, and the globalized ethics of biomedicine: research paper. http:// www.globalization_20of_20organ_20transplants.pdf. Accessed 10th July 2013.
Bill_Berkowitz. Bodies without passports: ‘transplant tourism flourishes in Developing World. November 17, 2006. http://www.bendweekly.com/Opinion/ 1269.html. Accessed 10th July 2013.
AST adopts Position Statement on Transplant Tourism. http://www.a-s-t.org/files/pdf/ public_policy/key_position/ Position_Statement_Transplant_Tourism.pdf. Accessed 30th June 2013.
Noel L. The World Health Organization and the international organ trade: market for kidneys? The ethics of the organ bazaar. Symposium at Harvard University, Boston. 8 Feb 2008. Available at:http://
webapps.sph.harvard.edu/content/ EVENT_FEB8,2008_2008-02-08_01-36-PM_files/ flash_index.htm. Accessed 10th July 2013.
Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. http://www.optn.org/latestData/step2.asp. Accessed 10th July 2013.
Nullis-Kapp C. Organ trafficking and transplantation pose new problems. Bulletin of the World Healrh Organisation. 2004; 82 (9): 715.
Smith A. Medical tourism and organ trafficking. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Vol. 2 (1) - (2012). www.ajhtl.com_ uploads_7_1_6_3_ 7163688_smith_a._vol._2_1_-_2012.pdf. Accessed 10th July 2013
WHO. Ethics, Access and Safety in Tissue and Organ Transplantation: Issues of Global Concern. Report. Madrid, Spain, 6-9 October 2003. http:// www.who.int.ethics/Tissues%20 and% 20Organ%20 Transplantation.pdf. Accessed 15th June 2013.
Errin CA, Harris J. An ethical market in human organs. Jr Medical Ethics. 2003; 29: 137-138.
Shroff S. In an interview with the Times of India. The Times of India. Chandigarh. July 31, 2013. pp: 10 15. OPTN/SRTR Annual Report 1994-2003. HH/HRSA/
HSB/DOT; UNOS; Arbor Research Collaborative for Health. http://www.ustransplant.org/citing.aspx. Accessed 10th July 2013.
Scheper-Hughes N. A grisly trade: A taboo tumbles: The market for “fresh” human organs is expanding world-wide, with the poor providing for the rich. Los Angeles Times, August 3, 2003.
Ghods AJ, Savaj S. Iranian model of paid and regulated living-unrelated kidney donation. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2006; 1: 1136-1145.
McLaughlin A, Prusher I, Downie A. “What is a kidney worth?” Christian Science Monitor Online. 2004; June 9: 4. http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0609/ p01s03-wogi.html. Accessed 10th July 2013.
Zargooshi J. Quality of life of Iranian kidney “donors”. The J Urol. 2001, 166: 1790-1799.
Batson A, Oster S. China considers fairness of ‘Transplant tourism’: Foreigners pay more for scarce organs; Israelis debate reforms. Wall Street Journal. 2007, April 6: A1.
Scheper-Hughes N. Rotten trade: Millenial capitalism, human values, human values and global justice in organ trafficking. Journal of Human Rights. 2003, 2(2): 218.
Kennedy I, Sells RA, Daar AS, Guttmann RD, Hoffenberg R, Lock M, Radcliffe-Richards J, Tilney N, for the International Forum for Transplant Ethics. The case for “Presumed Consent” in organ donation. Lancet; 341: 1650-52.
Abouna GM. Ethical issues in organ transplantation. Med Princ Pract. 2003; 12: 54-69.
Baston A, Oster S. China reconsiders fairness of transplant tourism. 11th April 2007 http:// www.chinadigitaltimes.net/2007/04/china reconsiders-fairness-of-transplant-tourism-andrew baston-and-shai-oster/ Accessed 15th June 2013.
China agrees to ban transplant tourism. 02 Dec 2006. http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/ dn10711-china-agrees-to-ban-transplant tourism.html. Accessed 10th July 2013.
TED Case Studies: India kidney trade. Case No. 240. http://www.ameican.edu/projects/mandala/TED/ KIDNEY.HTM. Accessed 30th June13.
Kumar S. Despite ban, organs still sold in India. Reuters Health. March 9 2001. http:// www.vachss.com/help_text/archive/ despite_ban.html. Accessed 30th June 2013.
Kumar S. India’s kidney transplant racket? The Lancet. 1995; 345: 376.
The Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994. Act 42 of 1994.
Singh J. The kidney scam. http://www. jansamachar. net ? display.php3? id=&num =10044&lang= English. Accessed 30th June 2008.
Swami P. Organ trade: Punjab’s Kidney Industry. Front Line. 2003. 20(3) at http://www.flonet.com/ fl2003/stories/200303214004811500.htm. Accessed 30th June 2008.
Global kidney racket busted in Gurgaon. The Hindustan Times, Chandigarh. 26th January, 2008:1. 33. No kidding, Amit says did surgeries himself. The Times of India, Chandigarh, February 12, 2008:1. 34. In TN’s kidneyvakkam, an organ for Rs. 40000. The Times of India, Chandigarh. 26th January, 2008: 5. 35. Ram A. Tamil Nadu racket may be catering to foreigners. Jan 23, 2007. http://www.dnaindia.com/ report.asp?NewsID=1076020. Accessed 30th June 2013. 36. The Associated Press. Indian police investigating kidney selling racket among tsunami survivors. International Herald Tribune Asia Pacific. 17 Jan 2007. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/17/asia/As GEN-India-Tsunami-Organs_Scam.php#top. Accessed 30th June 2013.
Another kidney busted. The Times of India, Chandigarh. 3rd March, 2008:3.
Shah VR. Perioperative management of brain-dead organ donor. Transplantation 2002; 1: 44-50. 39. Incentive offer for organ donation to stop black trade. The Hindustan Times, Chandigarh. 31st January, 2008:1.
Army shows the way in organ donation. The Hindustan Times, Chandigarh. 3rd February, 2008:1. 41. Shroff S, Rao S, Kurian G, Suresh S. Organ donation and transplantation—The Chennai Experience in India. Transplantation Proceedings. 2007. 39:714-718. 42. INOS and the essence of organ sharing. Editorial. Indian Transplant News Letter. 2001. 3:9.
Shroff S, Sundaram S, Abraham G, Sounddarajan, Suresh, Rao S, Thomas P. Cadaver organ donation and transplantation in India. http:// www.medindia.net/articles/article5.asp Accessed 30th June 2013.
About Mumbai Kidney foundation. Mumbaikidneyfoundation.org/aboutus.htm. Accessed 30th June 2013.
NGO to promote organ donation. Tribune News Service. Ludhiana, July 9, 2008. http:// www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080710/ldh1.htm. Accessed July 20, 2013.
Swap’s the way to save lives. Sunday Times of India, New Delhi. February 3, 2008:1.
Cohen B, White C. A European perspective in organ procurement: Breaking down the barriers to Organ Donation. Transplantation. 1999; 68: 922-923.
Gibbons RD, Meltzer D, Duan N, et al (other members of the Institute of Medicine Committee on Organ Procurement and Transplantation). Waiting for organ transplantation. Science. 2000; 287: 237-238.
