Question:
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200510/kt2...17390510230.htm
Illegal Organ Trading Thrives Online
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Illegal traders of human organs are doing their business covertly through the Internet as the demand for organs increases.
Rep. Bahk Jae-wan of the opposition Grand National Party said on Monday that those wanting to sell or buy organs and brokers of organ trades advertise openly on popular portal sites.
He said in a report for the ongoing parliamentary inspection that one of the sites set up an online community titled ``Consultation on Organ Trade.’’
Due to a lack of domestic organ donations, some patients have received organ transplants in China, but many of them as a result have suffered serious side effects or died.
Those arranging or helping organ trades are subject to at least two years in prison, and those selling or buying organs may face up to 10 years in prison or a maximum 50 million won in fines.
According to Bahk, some of the posted articles said, ``A patient in need of a kidney. Those wanting to sell one, please contact me.’’
He also said a 22-year-old male posted an ad listing his physical description as O-type blood, 178 centimeters tall and weighing 75 kilograms, to sell his kidney and liver.
The man allegedly said he would sell the organs at 10 million won less than what other traders demand.
Other ads also read: ``Consulting organ transplant in Korea and China,’’ and ``Free consulting for a transplant in a hospital in Beijing.’’
A healthcare company put on its Web site the price of transplants, such as a liver transplant at hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai at 350,000 yuan (48.1 million won) and a kidney transplant at 150,000 yuan (20.6 million won).
Along with the online organ trades, a growing number of patients go to China for organ transplants.
About one to four patients headed for China in 1999-2001, but the number increased to 24 in 2002, and 73 in 2003, according to Bahk.
In the first eight months of this year, 124 patients visited China.
Eight, or 3.4 percent, of them died from side effects, while 76, or 32.2 percent, developed complications and 34 patients, or 14.4 percent, suffered from immune rejection.
The side effects and troubles are partly due to illegal organ trades in China. More than 31 percent of Chinese organ donors are unidentified.
The number of patients waiting for organ transplants has been on the rise. It stood at 10,143 in 2002, 11,771 in 2003, 13,100 in 2004, and 14,336 in the first half of this year.
However, the number of organ donors has risen slowly: 1,548 in 2002, 1,596 in 2003, 1,717 in 2004, and 769 in the first half of this year.
``Medical centers and hospitals should report patients likely to die or brain dead people to the authorities in charge of organ transplants. The nation also should strengthen public campaigns to promote organ donations,’’ Bahk said.
rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr
10-03-2005 17:41
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eww, i wonder how much a lung goes for.
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Well, you've got to think about, it takes so long for the process to be done through the legal system that people who have to rely on the underground market to obtain these they want. I bet it happens all the time. Money can buy a loads of things.
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Wow...disgusting :X.
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nasty (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)
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That's just sickening. I wouldn't want to do that with my own body, or anybody else's.
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ughh...well when you think about it...people don't wanna die and they are realllly desperate to find a new kidney or whatever. i think i watched this on discovery channel health....many people in the phillipines are willing to sell their kidney and such...on the documentry it shows alot of scars...etc so yeah =|
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omg...can't believe people would do anything...anything...just for the sake of money.
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can you live without your liver??
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can you live without your liver??
well to what i know of, only a portion of your liver is taken out. and that it regenerates easily.
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omg...grose
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Just wrong. ._.
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I am a certified organ donor. When I die I want to give back to community.. although, I am not sure if my organs are good enough because they've been partied out. XP
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Well, you've got to think about, it takes so long for the process to be done through the legal system that people who have to rely on the underground market to obtain these they want. I bet it happens all the time. Money can buy a loads of things.
Yeah.. thats true.
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Well, you've got to think about, it takes so long for the process to be done through the legal system that people who have to rely on the underground market to obtain these they want. I bet it happens all the time. Money can buy a loads of things.
True.
