TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hello readers,

Apparently, the illegal kidney trading syndicate shows no signs of stopping. On the contrary, it is becoming more rampant. Last month, the police uncovered a kidney trading network that reached Cambodia. In that country, the regulations regarding kidney donors are quite loose. As a result, individuals claiming to be doctors from China venture there and hunt for potential donors from Indonesia.

The story of this illegal kidney trade seems to repeat what happened in 2016. We previously wrote about a kidney trading network from Majalaya, Bandung, West Java, and there was also a group from Ponorogo, East Java. All of them were connected to an international kidney trading network.

Why does the buying and selling of kidney organs persist? Apparently, it is because there is demand and supply. Kidneys have become a commodity that generates money. There are many kidney failure patients in need of transplants, and there are also many people in need of money due to economic hardships. Sellers and buyers meet in these transactions.

The problem is that commercial kidney trading falls under the crime of human trafficking. The Health Law does allow for kidney transplants, but only from deceased individuals declared brain dead. However, transplants from living individuals are still prohibited, except from donors.

And this is where the problem lies: kidney donors do not receive proper appreciation. Those who donate their organs do so based on humanitarian grounds. Therefore, the number of organ donors, including kidneys, is very low. Meanwhile, there are a significant number of people in need.

There is a suggestion for the government to provide incentives for organ donors considering the increasing demand and need. With appropriate compensation regulations, illegal organ trading would decline. A number of nations have implemented this and have seen a decline in illegal trading.

Do you agree? We discuss the fundamental problems in health care services while at the same time exposing the kidney trading network in Cambodia. We interviewed a number of victims, those accused of being brokers, police officers and government officials. Happy reading and have a great week.

Regards,

Bagja Hidayat

Executive Editor

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