Harvesting of Organs

Harvesting of Organs
The International Society describes organ harvesting for Human Rights (ISHR) as the deliberate killing of people to sell their body parts for transplantation. The bodies of "suspected donors" are cremated (ISHR, 2017). Not all countries worldwide engage in the heinous activity, but a few stand out, including China, India, and the Sinai Peninsula. Inmates in jails, refugees, and undocumented immigrants who find themselves in unfavorable situations in various countries are among the victims of this practice. On the other hand, legal and social issues draw attention to this practice and raise global concerns. The established cartels that run the company, which include doctors and surgeons, prison commanders and buyers of body organs (ISHR, 2017). To shed more light, this paper identifies the issues surrounding organ harvesting: the origin, current practices, the argument on the risks and benefits, and the global concerns to end the practice.

Origin and Practices

Organ harvesting originated from the successes of organ transplants in the medical field. After Dr. Joseph Murray had transplanted a kidney in 1953 in Boston, the demand for more operations increased (Stop Organ Harvesting, 2017). Initially, people volunteered to donate body parts like the lungs, kidney, heart and more. As the demand increased beyond supply, illegal ways of getting the body parts increased and brought in the forced and illegal taking of body parts from people. According to several investigations by ISHR (2017), most of these businesses rocketed in China. Several investigations and undercover research by journalists and legal officers revealed terrible practices, majorly in prisons. From the different body parts, the sellers got different profits.

Other than China, India, and Sinai Peninsula are the other infamous countries listed in this business. The world Health Organization lists Egypt as a major hub for organ trafficking through gang networks who hold refugees captive and demand heavy payments (ISHR, 2017). Failure to pay the release fee, a victim, faces unjust killing and robbing of their body parts. Such forceful killings featured in China that allowed the removal of organs from detainees who were to face death sentences as a quick way of killing them. These practices have serious legal concerns around the world.

Benefits and Risks

Organ harvesting only benefits the people involved in the business. People who are buying and using the body parts when in need of advanced treatment gain when their problems are solved. Their treatment is an improvement on their health and lengthens their lives. Sellers and traffickers claim of huge prices and benefits regarding money from the business. Such may be an increase in wealth, but it is illegal and not allowed.

Concerns about Organ Harvesting and Selling

One thing that features in the mentioning of organ harvesting is the genuineness of the business. According to medical laws, there should be a substantial donation by an individual (Foran 9). Forceful harvesting of organs for transplant faces condemnation by doctors and international bodies on human rights. This is in addition to the forceful killing of innocent people (ISHR, 2017). Societies view this as unethical and demand strict laws to guard people’s rights and stop the business permanently. Such businesses should meet serious legal actions to end it. Different measures are underway to stop the business.

The first measure is to have strong evidence for the existence of a donor of any body part for transplant. Patients who buy these body parts need to prove that their donors are available and had given these body parts at will. Without such proofs, these people do not qualify for treatment or transplant of their organs. Such a process calls for the full observance of the laws by medical officers regarding the matter (Foran, 9). Most doctors need to stick to the ethics of practice and demands of proof of the donors too. Any medical practitioner involved in such unethical duty should face a ban for disregard to the laws. This calls for the involvement of the medical institutions and states’ departments of health to certify these procedures. As an example, Israel banned the buying of Chinese body organs in 2008. Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH) listed their concerns that the world needed to worry about the promise by the Chinese government of their commitment to end the business of Organ harvesting. Falun Dafa Information Center (2015) indicates that China should take the lead by giving consistent statements from the business. Such a step proves the success of the war against organ transplant. If all he practitioners get into the deal, then there can be an end to the practice. However, challenges exist.

Challenges in Fighting the Business

The first challenge in fighting this business is the unwillingness of the cartel to end the business. Most people in this business have self-interests and cannot accept to observe the human rights and medical ethics in the business. A number are after the money, without considering the impending bruise on the medical ethics. Connected to this is the unity of the world against countries that get into this business. As a few countries stopped the trade with China on organs, it is still evident that some countries are still in the business. If all the countries accepted to stop the trade, the market would reduce and cause losses in the business. Matters get worse on the realization that most doctors and physicians are in the business, from the removal of to transplant of organs, making it grim to involve them in the fight against organ harvesting. Though these challenges exist, the war on organ harvesting must stop.

The choice of this topic followed the concerns over human body trafficking and the motivation. Needed to understand the sources of numerous body parts used in medicine when I came across organ harvesting, which was an illegal business. The surprising part is the killing of innocent people who are not willing to give their bodies freely like prisoners and immigrants. The issues need much change from the international community to ensure ethics are in the medical field to end the gross violation of human rights.

Conclusion

Organ harvesting originated from a few countries and spread to other places as a business, which attracts high profits with the world raising concerns over the business. China, Sinai Peninsula, and India are the countries that top the international market in this business. Forceful removal of particular organs and cremating the body afterward is an illegal practice the world must stop. The International community has concerns over the business and unites to end the business. One of the measures is to ensure the people prove the locations of their donors and terminate the business with the concerned parties.



Works Cited

Falun Dafa Information Center. "DAFOH: Doctors reject sugar coating on China’s organ transplant business." Human Rights Crises, DAFOH, 8 May 2015, en.faluninfo.eu/2015/05/08/dafoh-doctors-reject-sugar-coating-on-china-s-organ-transplant-business. Accessed 2 May 2017.

Foran, Rackuel. Organ transplants. ABDO Publishing Company, 2013.

International Society for Human Rights. "Organ Harvesting." Countries, ISHR, 2017, www.ishr.org/countries/peoples-republic-of-china/organ-harvesting/. Accessed 2 May 2017.

Stop Organ Harvesting. "What is organ harvesting?" News, Stop Organ Harvesting, 2017, www.stoporganharvesting.org/what-is-organ-harvesting/. Accessed 2 May 2017.