Selling Your Organ to Save Your Life: An Ethical Issue in Pakistani Perspective

Muhammad Ilyas *, Rozina Karmiliani **, Sajid Iqbal ***
*-*** Aga Khan School of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan University, Pakistan.
Periodicity:November - January'2021
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jnur.10.4.17483

Abstract

Scenario: “Two suspicious men entered the ward where I was the Charge-Nurse, I asked them what were they looking for. They replied that if any patient needed a kidney, they would sell their kidney to the patient and charge some amount. I called the security personnel and handed-over the two persons. It was investigated that one of the men was bankrupt and taken to the hospital by force to sell his kidney in order to repay the loan”. Assumption and underlying ethical values: Selling of human organs is becoming a global issue. Selling of human organs, trade of human flesh or human organ trafficking is a worldwide ethical issue in recent days and a concern for all health care providers. In 2007, World Health Organization (WHO) gave a report of kidney trafficking which consisted of 5-10% (all organs trafficking) of all the world human organ trade. There are various factors that compel an individual to sell an organ. The theory of justice, ethics of care, right based theory, and the theory of deontology were utilized to assess the underlying ethical issue. My position in such an ethical issue is that the Health Care Provider (HCP) must perform his/her duty within the responsibilities of the professional code of ethical conduct. Conclusion: Health care professionals and the policy maker have the obligation to deny the selling and buying of human organs or tissue for financial benefits. Selling human organs is not an ethical approach to exchange the suffering from an affected person to the person exploited into organ selling. Recommendations: In the light of the ethical theories and principles the following recommendations are given to deal with such type of ethical issues. Health authority (HOTA) needs to improve the check and balance system to control and prevent such kinds of crimes in health care. It is recommended that HOTA needs to formulate policies and guidelines for organ buying and selling.

Keywords

Ethical Theories, Human Organ Trafficking, Selling of Human Organs.

How to Cite this Article?

Ilyas, M., Karmiliani, R., and Iqbal, S. (2021). Selling Your Organ to Save Your Life: An Ethical Issue in Pakistani Perspective. i-manager's Journal on Nursing, 10(4), 13-16. https://doi.org/10.26634/jnur.10.4.17483
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