Kidneys For Sale

It's been generally known that people can negotiate for a kidney operation in some Asian countries. In particular, there have been stories of people going to India and buying a kidney from an impoverished citizen willing to sell. The latest iteration in the trade of kidneys now includes China and condemned Chinese prisoners.

From the UK Guardian:

Kidney patients who need a transplant in Britain are being targeted by a medical group offering them new organs taken from executed Chinese prisoners.

For the handsome sum of 23,000 British pounds (about $40,000), a patient can travel to the Southern Hospital in Guangzhou for the operation and recovery. It's believed that ten Brits have made the trip this year.

The internet company transplantsinternational.com makes it clear that the organs are from prisoners who are about to be executed. The prisoners apparently give their consent and are told that their families will receive money for the 'donation.'

Under the heading 'Where do kidneys come from?', the company states: 'A cadaveric kidney comes from a dead person and in the majority of cases in China, the dead people are prisoners, which allows for us to know at least two weeks ahead of time when the kidney will be ready.'

It also makes clear that before the death, blood samples are taken from prisoners to ensure they will be the perfect match for their Western beneficiaries.

'All donors are screened to prevent any disease transmission and the prisoners consent to organ donation. Unlike in some Western countries, the prisoners can receive money for their organs.'

The Deputy Prime Minister, Huang Jiefu, finally admitted earlier this month that there is a widespread practice in China of harvesting organs of executed prisoners for transplantation. He also admitted that there is a need to "tidy up the medical market" and to manage the supply of organs from executed prisoners. So, apparently the entire organ harvesting operation in China is recognized as somewhat loosey-goosey.

Even though some people have expressed utter disgust at the idea of transplanting organs from condemned prisoners, there are certainly thousands of patients who would gladly avail themselves to the opportunity if they could afford it.

I personally consider it worrisome. There is a profit motive attached to the death of a human being with an ever-present risk of corruption. Coupling death with profit under a secretive umbrella of police-state communism might qualify as a template for horror.