Proposal Essay – Organ Selling

While walking down a city street, alarming cries for help ring out through the air, and it is observed that an individual that appears to be living well has a helpless, poor victim held down, relentlessly beating them to the ground and taking what little they have left for their own advantage and benefit. What would be the right thing to do; run away or try to help, either by stepping in or calling the proper authorities? The morally ethical thing to do would be to help and do what has to be done to stand up for what is right.

This same general scenario is happening not too far from this country, where organ brokers are victimizing innocent and poverty-stricken mothers and fathers trying to find a way to provide and get out of debt, by either forcing or deceiving them to give up an organ or cheating them whether formally or informally, after they agree to sell, by either not paying them for their organ at all or only paying a fraction of the promised price (Glaser, S.,2005).

But the way that nobody tries to help is the same as walking by that same victim that is being beaten on the street. These poor victimized sellers that are turning to that option, unfortunately are completely ignorant to and uneducated on the process, certain organs in their bodies, or any of the functions or importance of those organs which leaves them wide open to exploitation.

Therefore, my proposal is to find a way to stop these horrible things from happening to the potential and desperate sellers, by educating them, giving them other means that help both those who are seeking financial gain by selling, and those who desperately are seeking an organ to survive, and eliminating them from the black market organ brokers’ manipulation and exploitative grasp. It is respectfully understood that the World Health Organization (WHO) is strongly against any payment for any type of organ donation for a number of moral, ethical, and medical reasons (Denneman, L., Mol, M. 2009).

For instance, as stated in the WHO’s Guiding Principles on Human Organ Transplantation (1991), “organ trafficking violates fundamental human rights, such as rights to life, liberty, security in person and freedom from cruel and inhumane treatment”(Glaser, S. 2005). Furthermore, it may be a risk to the public in addition to being a crime that, in this particular case, proves to be a conspicuously offensive violation of human rights, because the forcing and misleading of someone into selling their body parts violates their personal independence (Glaser, S.2005).

Moreover, safety standards in these areas are severely undermined due to the lack of resources, weak medical regulatory foundation, and corruption; therefore, if there were to be a legalized method of organ buying and selling, the regulatory structures and system would be ineffectively executed (Denneman, L. , Mol, M. 2009). So, one can empathetically concur with the WHO’s decision to stand firm on the banning.

Anthropologist, Monir Moniruzzaman, found 33 sellers who went to organ brokers to sell their kidneys, not even knowing what the word “kidney” meant nor what its purpose and functions in the body were, and were talked into doing it because of the misleading, false information they received of their “sleeping kidney” and the 100% safe procedure that had no risks and would cause no long-term harm or damage to them; then were promised over two thirds more than they actually received (Moniruzzaman, M.2012).

These people, who lived on only $2 per day to provide for a family and lived in the worst imaginable impoverished conditions, some in a crawl space located under someone else’s house (Bienstock, R. E. 2013). They see thousands of luring ads in local newspapers, promising them the world, and out of fear, hope, and desperation reach out to the organ brokers and get sucked into consenting and at times physically forced to donate (Parry, W. 2012).

If there were a strictly regulated legal system with fixed prices that these desperately poverty-stricken people can go to ask questions, get true, accurate answers and information, and completely and independently decide to sell. This may be the solution to wipe out these brokers of the black market because if they have no one to prey on they will not have a choice but to find other means of income besides taking a large portion of the sellers’ payments for “hidden fees” (Resnick, B.2012).

Since the WHO is not, in any way, going to lift the ban, and one of the most efficient ways to increase the supply of available organs for the thousands of people on organ waiting lists is to make some form of donation and selling legal, other options must be sought-after. By combining two opposing viewpoints it is possible for a whole new approach to this rapidly growing problem to transpire, for there may be more agreeable aspects than what meets the eye. Though there are areas of disagreement, it is agreed upon that exploiting the poor and manipulating and/or forcing them to sell their organs at the expense of their health physically and psychologically, and social stance as well as the sellers families also.

Instead of going against beliefs of any party by lifting the ban or just pretending that this does not occur on a daily basis or ignore it entirely, not trying to help, it may be possible to educate these poor and desperate people, crack down on busting these organ brokers, and even getting the doctors involved in the protection and prevention of the innocent victims that this vicious system continues to claim. The ethical and moral urgency to protect these people’s rights, freedom, health, and autonomy is equally important, so it should be the main focal point for a new elimination program.

This could consist of passing and strictly and harshly enforcing laws against such crimes related to illegal trafficking, and in the process organize public education campaigns to get the proper and accurate information out to the victims and potential sellers so these brokers that do not get caught are unable to scam and force them to sell out of ignorance (Glaser, S. 2005). These awareness programs and information centers could then, in turn, create some jobs and give those living in drastic poverty some form of income.

These developments will require total cooperation and collaboration from both he3alth officials and law enforcement officials equally (Halstead, B. , Wilson, P. 1991). One way would be to pass the law imposing mandatory reporting requirements for doctors who suspect that the organs were obtained using the black market. Currently, transplant doctors work on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” regimen, which is fueling the brokers to continue luring in more sellers.

Since it is the brokers who are the main culprits, it should be them, not doctors, that are pursued, convicted, and be given a more severe punishment (Glaser, S. 2005). In addition to stopping the organ brokers there are a number of other methods that can be carried out to develop an increasing supply of organs, such as promoting consent to cadaver donations upon death, altruistic donations, biotechnology, and/or using tissues and stem cells from aborted fetuses to create the needed organs (Holstead, B. , Wilson,P. 1991).

There are a number of options presented and if it is not possible to legalize the sale of organs, completely dissipate the black market, or stop people from using the black market out of desperation for either money or the needed organ, then the way the people are misinformed, uneducated, and exploited, blindly consenting by way of violence and/or manipulation needs to be promptly addressed by carefully and thoughtfully considering getting the knowledge, law enforcement, strict punishments, and health officials help out and start standing up for the innocent victims.

Just as one would help if he saw a victim lying in front of him, beaten and bloody in the street, it would be imperative and morally right to lend a helping hand.