The illicit transplant tourism

Organ transplantation, one of the medical miracles of the 20th century has prolonged and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide.

Yet these accomplishments have been tarnished by numerous reports of trafficking in human beings who are used as sources of organs and of patient-tourists from rich countires who travel abroad to purchase organs from poor people.

In this video, Professor Francis Delmonico, from Harvard University discusses the issues of organ commercialism, which targets vulnerable populations (such as illiterate and impoverished persons, undocumented immigrants, prisoners and political or economic refugees).

As a consequence of the increasing ease of Internet communications and the willingness of patients in rich countries to travel and purchase organs, organ trafficking and transplant tourism have grown into a problem of global magnitude.

Professor Francis Dolmenico was speaking in a forum organised by the Malaysian Society of Transplantation on 9th July 2010 at the Dorset Hotel in Subang Jaya.

Video by Rajeswari & KSTan, Citizen Journalists