Strict action needed to stop kidney trade through Facebook

Around 5,000 kidney transplants are reportedly needed in Bangladesh every year. Understandably, it is not possible in the country to meet the demand for kidneys only from close relatives. A study shows that not even 500 kidneys are transplanted annually in our hospitals. And those who can afford are transplanting kidney from abroad, especially from India. However, it is quite surprising that an illegal kidney market has recently developed on social media platform, Facebook. As reports go, there are some 200-250 Facebook groups to run this organ sale business. The sellers and buyers in these groups are also seen to bargain over the price of the kidney. Some 800,000 to 1 million people are active members of these groups. This figure provides an idea of the scale of the of the illegal business.
According to the Transplant of Human Organ Act (amendment) 2018, a patient can obtain a kidney either from a close relative or from a brain-dead patient, whose relatives would agree to this. Despite knowing this, neither the law enforcement agencies, nor the health ministry has taken any action yet to stop the illegal sale of kidneys through Facebook. Many people have become victims of fraud. Strict legal measures are urgent to stop this illicit trade involving kidney transplantation.

Ashikujaman Syed,
Research Assistant,
Bioinformatics Research Lab,
Center for Research Innovation and Development (CRID),
[email protected]