Vietnamese law bans the trade of internal organs. The need for internal organs, particularly kidneys, is huge–so many people cross the border to sell kidneys in China.
Police of Can Tho city in the Mekong Delta detected a ring that organized illegal trips to China for kidney sellers. From 2008 to February 2011, this ring sent 19 people in southern provinces to China to sell their kidneys.
At the Artificial Kidney War of Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital, around 500 kidney-failure patients are treated regularly. Doctors say that around 15 percent of them need kidney transplant but there are not enough kidneys for them. So far, this hospital, one the biggest hospitals in Vietnam, has performed only four kidney transplant operations. All kidneys are donated by relatives of patients.
At other big hospitals in Vietnam like Viet Duc, 103, Cho Ray, the numbers of kidney transplant cases are higher but they are very small in comparison with the real need. It is estimated that around 7,000-8,000 people need kidney transplant a year in Vietnam.
While the sources of donated internal organs are extremely rare, many people want to sell their kidneys.
Dr. Nguyen Cao Luan, chief of the Artificial Kidney Ward at Bach Mai Hospital, says that his ward sees several young men who want to sell their kidneys each week. “Our law does not permit internal organ trade so we have to explain to them,” Luan said.
“But in many cases, they can still sell their kidneys because kidney-failure patients, who have money, seek ways to see kidney sellers through intermediates or online advertising. They can call each other as adoptive parents, brothers, etc. and voluntarily ‘donate’ their kidneys. We cannot deny such cases,” Dr. Luan says.
In the past, Vietnamese people had to go to China for kidney transplant but now the sources of internal organs in China has become scarce. More Vietnamese people have gone to China to sell their kidneys than going there to have kidney transplanted. Recently, one was dead at a hospital in Vietnam after selling his kidney in China.
Some suggest that Vietnam should allow internal organ trading, but under state management, perhaps an independent internal organ bank. However, the law should only encourage people to register to sell their internal organs after death or brain death.
Dr. Luan from Bach Mai Hospital says that if internal organ trade is legalized and managed by an independent internal organ bank, more patients will be rescued while the kidney donors are better managed and taken care.
IT IS ILLEGAL TO BUY OR SELL ORGAN IN THE UNITED STATES AND MANY COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD HOWEVER AS TRANSPLANT WAIT LISTS GROW EXPONENTIALLY THE DESPERATION OF THOSE WAITING FOR A LIFE SAVING TRANSPLANT DRIVES THEM TO THE ORGAN TRADE MARKET. IF THIS WAS YOU, WOULD YOU BE DRIVEN TO DO THE SAME? CURRENTLY THE ONLY SOLUTION WE HAVE IS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO BE AN ORGAN DONOR - HOWEVER IS THIS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO SATISFY THE EVER GROWING NEED? PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS USING THE "COMMENTS"
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