HUMAN ORGANS FOR SALE

Capitalism is without limit. Economic trade for profit boundless. Legality not necessarily a concern. Underground ventures can be capitalistic.

Today's society presents forced prostitution as one of the worst of the underground ventures. Young girls are either forcibly or deceptively removed from their home countries to another with the carrot being a better job, a better life. When their destination is reached, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is from 20-40 men a day or a severe beating. Even worse, death.

The profit made by abductors and deceivers of innocent girls is humongous. 

There is another underground venture that is little spoken of. It exists. It is highly profitable. Perhaps even more despicable than the sexual slavery of young girls. It involves the sale of human body organs.

The demand for body organs is great. The availability slim. One hundred thousand body organs a year are needed. Only 10,000 are available. The body organs include kidneys, hearts, livers, and corneas. Seventy five per cent of the trade involves kidneys. The need for kidney replacements is driven primarily by diabetes.

The acquisition of these body parts is ALWAYS to avoid death or blindness. Money to the wealthy sick is not an issue, insurance not a concern.

The underground trade has grown involving the sale of body parts. Organs are obtained from the donor for nothing to $20,000. Generally, $5,000. An international broker is involved. He arranges with the donor for the organ and thereafter makes arrangements for the sale of the organ. His profit is outstanding! The organs sell for $150,000 to $200,000. $150,000-160,000 being the norm. Other than what the broker pays the donor and the minimal costs involved in the removal, making a match and delivery, the balance is all the broker's. In  the range of $125,000 to $175,000 per organ. Not bad.

The broker finds donors in several ways. Just as with slave traders in the 1600s and 1700s, the brokers invade African, Eastern European and Middle East villages. The young are taken away in mass. The same as with young girls to be introduced into slavery. They are taken to a central location. Then one of two scenarios occurs. The person is kept over a period of time and all organs are taken till death occurs. The other is that a specified organ is removed. Then the donor is on his or her own. Follow up medical is negligible. Many die from infections.

Another method to secure organs is the broker dealing directly with the donor face to face and offering $5,000 to $20,000 for a specified organ. The donor is almost always extremely poor and such amounts represent a windfall. 

At the other end of the cycle are the doctors, hospitals and people in need of the organs. Visualize the situation. It is poor people submitting to amputations for cash to save the wealthy sick. Many nations play the game. We do not hear of it, however. Sounds despicable to buy human body organs. Yet it is being done everywhere, quietly. Even in the United States. Though not as flagrantly as in China, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Iran. The hospitals and doctors charge fees in addition to what the broker charges. A life and death situation makes for desperate people. Desperate people do desperate things. Even spending upwards of $500,000 in the final analysis for an organ that will continue life.

An example of U.S. involvement is Levy Rosenbaum. A Brooklyn resident, he was a broker in body parts buying kidneys from Eastern Europe and then selling them. He generally paid $10,000 to the donor and charged the buyer $160,000. He was in business for 7 years till caught. He was convicted in federal court and sentenced to jail. Rosenbaum is typical of those who buy and sell organs world wide.

India, Pakistan, and the Philippines perform organ surgeries on a regular basis. The hospitals and/or doctors provide package deals to those who are in need and will come to them for the organ replacement surgery. Referred to as transplant tourism, the package includes everything. Airfare, hotel, hospital, doctor, the organ and whatever else may be required. 

China is deeply involved. A huge population. Many commit capital crimes and are executed. China removes the deceased's organs following execution. Ninety per cent of organs used in China for replacement purposes come from the bodies of deceased prisoners.

Iran handles the situation differently. Perhaps Iran should be the role model for the rest of the world.

The buying and selling of organs for profit is legal in Iran.  There is a cap, however. $1,200 for a kidney donation. There are no waiting lists. Physical and mental care is provided the donor later. Seventy percent of the donors are poor. However, the system appears to work effectively and fairly for all involved. Assuming one can accept as proper the sale of body organs.

The huge profit motive is not part of the Iranian system. The organs are only available to Iranians. Foreigners cannot purchase one.

Except for Iran, the sale of body organs is generally prohibited world wide. However there are devious type laws passed to make it appear a nation is not involved in the practice. Such as the transportation of body organs is illegal, but not the sale or use.

Obviously all kinds of ethical questions are involved. The preservation of human life. The use of a part of one person's body, whether voluntary or involuntary, to save another. Religious considerations. And so on. The issues should be studied and discussed. Shades to a certain degree of the questions raised with stem cells.

Life is important and the methods to preserve it. Assuming there is a solution, it should be one which is a benefit to all and a detriment to none.