Paid donor transplants still done in the Philippines

[Marlon]

http://www.liver4you.org  . They say that kidney transplants are legal and being done in the Philippines. The donor gets paid.
The Philippine Dept. of Health just requires something more so that they can certify that it was done dor humanitarian reasons.
Dialysis Joe says its immoral cause those donors are being taken advantage of because since they are poor. Joe's wisdom states that our free donors are wiser than the foreigner donors who get money. Is that insane ? 
   Our ihatedialysis is a great support and helping group but we need to hear more truth about Philippine Kidney Transplants 

[RichardMEL]

Comment... that page (horribly formatted and ugly colours, incidently!!) is dated 2000. That's a LONG time ago. My understanding is that the Government has legislated against foreigners receiving transplants in the Philipines in order to cut down on "transplant tourism" and the poor being taken advantage of. One thing I am totally in support of. I am sure it still goes on via a black market  of sorts, and of course you can go to Russia, India, China and other locations for transplants (of varying quality of medical procedures).

Yes, here's a link about the banning of foreign transplants in the Philipines: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4745514

I personally am morally against this practice. I have been asked quite a few times if I would go to asia/india etc to buy a kidney and I do not believe in it. Why? Because the poor are taken advantage of - the middlemen get the vast majority of the $$$ the westerner pays and the donor is often treated very badly and only receives a small amount. Eg: if the recipient pays say $25,000 the donor may only see $1500 or so of that. That does NOT seem right to me - even if $1500 would be a small fortune to the local. I find it very difficult that those so poor they feel the need to sell their health for money to live - and then get screwed in the transaction - is not right.

That's just my opinion of course. Others may well differ.

Either way I believe that web page is now well and truly out of date in relation to availability of kidney transplants to foreigners in the Philipines.

[Marlon]

That web site was updated, since it quoted an article from March 26 2007   "Organ trafficking by Wikipedia definition does not exist
mitch michaelson, March 26 2007." http://www.liver4you.org/id29.html .
 You may have been referring to the copyright date at the bottom of the page  "© 2000 copyright www.liver4you.org  story about a transplant hospital "

    You said that     " the donor is often treated very badly and only receives a small amount. Eg: if the recipient pays say $25,000 the donor may only see $1500 or so of that. That does NOT seem right to me - even if $1500 would be a small fortune to the local. I find it very difficult that those so poor they feel the need to sell their health for money to live - and then get screwed in the transaction - is not right.
  We don't know for sure    unless we personally hand the donor an extra $25,000. Nothing would stop a recipient to be extra generous and even help the donor into the future. Since they speak English, it should be as easy as apple pie.

 

[Marlon]

RichardMel, I heard that the Phil Dept Health can't pass laws regarding medical practice. I think that the first DOH statement
was to appease International critics but when push came to shove the DOH did an about face

    But in any case they reversed themselves publically by giving foreigners exemptions for
humanitarian reasons   
        DOH Clarifies Exemption of 8 Foreigners for Kidney Transplant
Press Release/23 May 2008

The Department of Health (DOH) today clarified that the Philippine Board of Organ Donation and transplantation (PBODT) exempted the eight foreigners to undergo kidney transplant in the Philippines because of humanitarian considerations that they registered and were already on the waiting list of the national organ transplantation program even before the ban on foreign transplants was announced on April 29 following the directive of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.


http://www.doh.gov.ph/press/20080523"

[okarol]

This is news from earlier this year - already posted http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=8413.0

[Zach]

Here we go again.

[Lucinda]

One of my old workmates received a kidney from a donor in the Philippines and she said it was done under extremely good conditions.  It is not up to me to judge whether it is right or wrong but I know she is in great shape now and the donor was absolutely thrilled to get the money to help support his family.  I understand what Richard said about taking advantage of the poor but the poor themselves see it as a way out of the disgusting situation they have found themselves in.  Sorry, but I look at it as saving two or more lives.  Morally wrong maybe that the donor doesn't get a greater amount of money but these donor are as desperate as the recipients for different reasons.  I think, like my friend did, you have to go over there and check it out for yourself and then find out how you really feel about it.  She honestly believed after meeting the donor that what she was doing was helping him as well.xx

[RichardMEL]

I think everyone's absolutely entitled to their own opinions on this and obviously they will vary with each person's own personal morals/ethics... I'm not going to abuse someone for going and doing it, and in the case of Lucinda's ex-workmate, if she knew the donor did OK out of the deal and was happy then that is certainly good to know. I also understand the hospital conditions in the Philipines, specially where the transplants were (are) done are very good, so there wasn't so much of an issue there. As I said I have a personal moral stance on the issue. Others will feel differently. That's OK.

Marlon, I can't help notice you've posted a couple of threads about this. You seem to have some sort of agenda here? Are you looking to get a transplant in/from the Philippines or are you perhaps peddling said services?