Illegal organ
trafficking is a worldwide epidemic. According to Miracles
for Life Worldwide, 19
people die each day waiting for an organ transplant. This may seem
insignificant, but every 12 minutes, another person is added to the waiting
list. Whether it is a kidney, liver, or heart, these afflicted individuals are
involuntarily forced into a life or death situation where finding a replacement
organ is the only escape.
Those
hanging on for life face a potential six to seven year wait before a suitable
organ becomes available. This state of paralysis is essentially a death
sentence waiting to happen. Fortunately for these patients, “the black market
is a short term solution” (Goodwin).
Although
laws regarding organ donation are highly monitored, illegal organ activity is
not unheard of. The Chinese market is the paramount location for illegal
activity. With many small private clinics and hospitals spread throughout the
nation, it is difficult for the Chinese government to regular organ
trafficking. China’s black market allows patients to acquire a new organ in a
matter of weeks, even days. Such speed is unheard of in countries that rely on
pure altruistic giving.
Behind Closed Curtains
The
vast majority of illegal organs derive from the bodies of executed criminals
that are given the death sentence for even the most minor injustices. According
to CNNWorld, “only 11,000
transplant operations…are performed each year…More than 90 percent of those
organs come from executed prisoners.” (Chen). The fact that executions of this nature are legal in China
makes this type of illicit activity easier to get away with. Amnesty International states that more than 4,500 Chinese prisoners are executed
each year with bullet to the back of the head because it preserves internal
organs, as opposed to lethal injections.
A
recent discovery revealed that a kidney from a living donor keeps someone alive
for twice as long than one from a cadaver. This revelation gave rise to
underground middlemen to seek out impoverished individuals willing to sacrifice
organs for monetary compensation. These middlemen transport patients to an
undisclosed hospital for a “broker-friendly” surgeon to conduct a series of
blood tests to ensure the health of the organs. Before conducting the surgery,
the middleman compensates the patients with anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000
cash, and then turns around to sell it anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000,
depending on the organ. After swearing to secrecy, the patient is then provided
with transportation back home.
Laws and Regulations
In
1984, China mandated the “National Organ Transplant Act,” which states that
organs of executed prisoners “could be harvested if no one claimed the body, if
the executed prisoner volunteered to have his corpse so used, or if the family
consented” (PrisonOrgans). This law also
requires that a national registry is kept for organ matching, and that a
federal contract is signed before surgery.
These
laws only facilitate organ trafficking because in China, having a family member
in prison is a financial burden. Families of prisoners are indebted to pay for
their rent and ‘if the individual is to be executed, the family is to
compensate the government for the bullet and to remunerate the funeral
arrangements” (PrisonOrgans). Because of these
expenses and the shame it brings, families are usually willing to grant
execution. This law is
useless, as it simplifies the process of obtaining organs illegally.
In
2007, China made it “illegal for living donors to donate organs, except from
spouses or blood relatives” (Moxley). This law only provokes more illegal
activity because if patients are unable receive an organ within their family,
the black market is their only hope for survival.
With
illegal trafficking persisting, “The Ministry of
Health recently announced it would crack down on medical facilities found
conducting organ transplants without proper qualifications, levying large fines
and ordering the hospitals to conduct institutional overhauls or risk closure.
Staff found breaking laws will be stripped of licenses, and officials in charge
will be removed and held legally responsible” (Moxley). This constraint is only
making it harder for patients to live, which is why these laws must to be
reformed.
Solutions
“1.5
million patients are enlisted on China’s organ transplant waiting list, with
the number of registered donor only about 10,000” (Coonan). With the Chinese laws facilitating illegal organ
donations and making it hard to donate, I don’t blame the thousands of
unregistered voters for not signing up. If monetary compensation is the only
incentive donors seek, there is no incentive to donate legally.
To
minimize this illicit activity, I think individuals should receive incentives
for signing up as an organ donor on their driver’s license. This will not only
provide benefits to the donor, but it will reduce the wait for individuals
patiently awaiting for a legally obtained organ.
Not
only will financial incentives be provided to registered donors, but those who
voluntarily donate an organ should receive compensation as well. "Other compensation could also be considered, such as tax
rebates, medical insurance or tuition wavers for donors’ family members" (Moxley). Reviving a system of
voluntary donation is a long-term goal but with these small steps, illegal
means of organ donation can be completely eliminated.
What do you think? Do desperate times call for
desperate measures, or should organ trafficking be considered a crime?
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