18. Quote (2)

The number of patients waiting for kidney transplants is increasing throughout the world. Because of the serious shortage of kidneys, people have resorted to organ trafficking, the illegal buying and selling of organs via the black market. Many critics express the concern that this process involves taking an unfair advantage of the poor. In the article, “Is it ethical for patients with renal disease to purchase kidneys from the world’s poor, “ Nancy Scheper-Huges, a professor of medical anthropology and director of Organs Watch explains the violence associated with kidney buying and selling. It is neither ethical nor humane to place a value on a person’s body. Nancy explains, “ putting a market price on body parts-even a fair one- exploits the desperation of the poor, turning their suffering into a medical opportunity” (n.p.). Although in many cases the operation may be viewed as a “win-win” situation, the poor ultimately suffer regardless of the transaction. The sellers are often unaware of the likely complications they will have to deal with post-surgery. As the article states, many sellers live in compromising conditions that threaten survival. With only one kidney the risk of damaging it through infectious disease, work related accidents and urban violence greatly increases. This puts organ donors from third world countries in an unfortunate predicament. If their last kidney fails, they do not have adequate healthcare or dialysis, and therefore it is highly unlikely that they will regain their health. There are also many physical and psychological effects that donors suffer from the actual surgery itself.