Desperate For Kidneys (And Other Organs)

Recently, several news outlets highlighted the illegal organ trade in Malaysia, particularly involving the sale of kidneys. The New Straits Times reported that a man had advertised and sold one of his kidneys via Facebook, as he needed RM100,000 to pay off his father’s debt to loan sharks, while Free Malaysia Today reported about a Facebook group called ‘Mencari Penderma Buah Pinggang’ (Looking for Kidney Donors). Social media has made the black market organ trade more clandestine and difficult to monitor, while the lack of a legal framework also make the issue harder to regulate. Dr Mohamad Zaimi Abdul Wahab, consultant nephrologist and President of the Malaysian Society of Transplantation, joins Dr George Lee to discuss these alarming practices and how we can all play a role in increasing organ donation pledges to plug the gap filled by traffickers preying on the hopes of desperate people.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Tee Shiao Eek