SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

Performance Task #4

Assignment Questions:
1. Why do you think organ trafficking is more rampant in developing countries?
Answer:
The global organized crime of trafficking is on a rise due to the forces of an increasingly
integrated world. Organ trafficking involves the transport of organs by means of coercion, abuse
of power, deception, and vulnerability (Budiani and Delmonico 925).

According to International Journal of Environmental research and Public Health the trafficking
of human beings for the purpose of organ removal (THBOR) is not a new phenomenon . With a
shortage of legally sourced organs around the world, it is estimated that the illegal trade of
human organs generates about 1.5 billion dollars each year from roughly 12,000 illegal
transplants.

Organ trafficking is more rampant in developing countries because of poverty. People that
are consider poor have less knowledge about the risk of having organ transplant; they are the
most vulnerable because they need money to sustain the needs of their family. Situations of
vulnerability can occur while en route or in host areas, as donors are exposed to abuse and
exploitation by smugglers and opportunists. Illegal recruiters tend to take advantage of the
current situation of poor people which is lack of money. People in slums consider 120,000 Php
is a huge help for them but they don’t know how long that money will last.
They tend to be the target people for organ transplant donor because build trusting
relationship is easier for this people. The recruiters make promises to the donor a huge amount
of money or to release from debts, and convince them that donating their organs illegally can
save them from this dilemma. Specifically in the case of kidneys, the most commonly harvested
organ from living donors, recruiters will tell victims that the kidney will grow back, having two
kidneys is unnatural, or that they have a large and a small kidney and removal of the small
kidney is harmless. Socio-economic, political conditions in their own countries and personal
circumstance is what bring their people to commit organ trafficking.

2. Look at the economic situation, the medical provision system, and the economic and
social situation of one developing country that participates in the international organ
trade, i.e., Pakistan or the Philippines. What do you think are the probable factors that
encourage the organ trade in this country?
Answer:
Socio-economic, political conditions of the country and personal circumstances such as
poverty are the reason why organ trade is not new to the said countries. In the Philippines
poverty is the biggest factor followed by the surge in number of patients with renal disease.
Desperation has driven many kidney patients into organ trafficking. Their targets are vulnerable
residents with great financial needs who can be easily coerced in to selling their organs. Most of
organ trade here in the Philippines is between a Filipino donor and Foreigners with end stage
kidney disease (Pichayada 2019).Many kidney donors are not aware of the side effect of the
operation. According to Nancy Scheper-Hugher from Organs Watch, some underage teens in
manila’s slums were eve guided by broker to fabricate names and increase their age to match
the requirement. Scheper- Hughes has spent the past decade studying global traffic in human
organs. Based on her research, most donor’s voluntarily enter into transactions only to realise
later they have been deceived, defrauded or cheated.
To curb commercial organ transplants, the Philippine government instituted the National
Transplant Ethics Committee in 2002. Their job is to ensure transplantation at 18 accredited
facilities nationwide is performed legally, and without commercial dealing. The committee is
tasked with interviewing donor candidates and recipients to confirm their relationship. If the
interviews are suspicious, they have the authority to reject the request for transplantation.

Source: Kidney for sale: Inside Philippines’ illegal organ trade - CNA (channelnewsasia.com)

3. Based on the factors, you have identified, give an analysis of how these factors can
erode the personal convictions of a person.
Answer:
These factors can erode the personal conviction of a person because these events have
raised many ethical, moral and societal issues regarding supply, the methods of organ
allocation the use of living donors as volunteers including minors. It has also led to the practice
of organ sale by entrepreneurs for financial gains in some parts the world through exploitation of
the poor, for the benefit of the wealthy. This deals with the ethical and moral issues generated
by the current advances in organ transplantation, the problem of organ supply versus organ
demand and the appropriate allocation of available organs. People involve in this kind of
situation tend forget their worth because their priority is to survive even though there are much
more consequences after their actions. Donors are much more likely to be deceived because of
money and lack of knowledge about this kind of system. People doing this kind of trade they
tend to take advantage to the social status of a person for them to deceived and gain money
from them. Recipients commit a crime by engaging in illegal trading for them to survive in their
illness. Both parties violated the moral and ethical values because for the recipient they use
power and wealth for them to be able to enter the black market and take advantage of the
weaknesses of the donor. For the donor they forget they value for them to survive and having
the mind-set that through this kind of system they can change their social status but ended up
being in the same state.
 Case Analysis Paper
in
Science, Technology and
Society

Submitted by Ruby Jane Laquihon BSN1-E

Case Analysis Paper in Science, Technology and Society

Submitted by Ruby Jane Laquihon BSN1-E

Case Analysis:
1. What is Julio’s dilemma?
Answer:
The dilemma of Julio is about life and death because I can say life because if he accept
the offer he will save the life of his son and family. Death because after a couple of months or
year Julio will be much more likely be in the situation how Simon and Tatang end up because of
lack of knowledge about the consequence of entering organ trafficking.
2. How can organ donation lead to organ trafficking?
Answer:
Organ donation lead to organ trafficking when global shortage of organs has driven the
industry, relying on poor populations to be donors and wealthy people to be the recipient. The
shortage of organs in different parts of the world is what leads to organs trafficking. Also
because of the price of the organ is one of the factors because it cost a lot of money which can
help the poor populations that are consider donor. This is where transplant tourism arises in
which people normalize going to different country to hunt poor organ donors. The recipients will
regain their health while financially benefiting the low income individuals. Furthermore, fighting
the organ trade entails limited law enforcement efforts, since it is less hidden and more
detectable than many other criminal activities. The lack of willingness to enforce law is the
problem. The government often make little effort to stop the trade. That is why a simple organ
donation can lead to organ trafficking because of global shortage, poverty and lack of law
enforcement about this.
3. What is your assessment of organ donation? Of organ trafficking?
Answer:
For me organs donation is legal as long as it undergoes processes legally without
forcing someone to be a donor. Organ donation should be fair enough to the recipient and the
donor for them to be protected at all cost and both sides shares fair enough benefits from each
other. Because if organ donation takes place the welfare of both sides should give attention for
the recipient his/her donor should be physically and psychologically fit. For the donor, before
and after care should be given to him as what the process states.

For organ trafficking why settle for this kind of trade if it will cause damage to both side.
Example if the donor lives in slum areas the health of the donor is at risk then he will be an
organ donor the health also of the recipient is at risk because in the legal process the donor
should be healthy. If the donor is not knowledgeable enough about this kind of system his/her
health is also at risk because there are many consequences if he/she agreed to be a donor like
having infection after the surgery and lack of knowledge about having one kidney only. So we
must take care of our health for us to avoid circumstances that can make our life at risk and also
our moral values.

4. Do you agree with Julio’s decision?

Answer:
 No! because there are many ways to solve Julio’s problem. He can seek help through
the programs given by the government which those people who don’t have the capabilities to
pay their hospital bill can seek help from Phil health, programs for indigent people and charities.
Also social media can also help example ask for help and donations because social media like
facebook is a very big platform which everyone can access there’s no way that no one can
notice your post. Humanity exist every day, there are people out there that are willing to help
you. If he agree to be donor eventually he will become a patient too because of the underlying
negative result from the operation.Doing illegal will save you for the meantime but your worth,
health, and moral values can be also at risk.

5. What alternative solutions do you have for Julio’s dilemma?

Answer:
In our country we have this medical assistance fir people who don’t have the capabilities
to pay their hospital bills like Phil health and programs for indigent people. All you need to do is
to go to the authorities and seek help. There are also charities in hospitals which can be a big
help to lessen their hospital bills. Also use the power of technology seeks help in the social
media because humanity exists and many people will help you out there. There are many more
ways for Julio’s dilemma in just it depends of the person on how he will deal with his problem, in
a good or bad way.
6. If you were in the place of Julio, would you make the same decision? Justify your
answer.
Answer:
No! of course because there are much more way to solve may problem than selling my
kidney. There many programs by the government that help people that don’t have the
capabilities to pay their hospital bills like applying Phil health , programs for indigent people, and
seek help for charities. The government have their ways to help people when it comes to
medical assistance especially in public hospitals. Also we can use social media platforms like
facebook for fund racing because out there, there are people who are willing to help you. Doing
such action that end up causing more trouble to you will not help you.
7. From a generalized standpoint, what is your stand on organ donation? On organ
trafficking?
Answer:
Organ donation by living donors saves lives, improves transplantation outcomes under
different conditions and also it minimize recipients waiting time. It also increase opportunities
for patients without living donors to receive organs from decease person. However, it violates
series of ethical issues that has not been addressed often. The transplantation of organs from
living donors seems to violate the first rule of medicine which is the primum non nocere (above
all, do no harm by Hippocrates) because this involve the removal of a healthy organ from a one
person to another person. One person becomes a patient to benefit another person who is
already a patient itself. This stand of mine shows like heating 2 birds in one stone because if
you are a healthy person and you decided to be a donor after the operation you can be consider
as a patient also because there are many possibilities might happen after the operation and you
end up seeking medical assistance for you to extend your life.

If organ donation violates many ethical issues even it goes in a legal way what’s more
when it comes to organ trafficking where faking of age of minor to be a donor, use of power and
wealth, deceiving people and taking advantage of personal circumstances of people for them to
earn money out of it. Human rights have been violated as stated above. This system becomes a
business rather than helping people and bare a collateral damage to both parties the donor and
recipient. Kidney selling is no longer strange or exotic act especially here in the Philippines. It’s
been an organized crime because people tend to use power and wealth for them to hide their
crimes. As technology advance organ trafficking is much easier for brokers because
communication is not a hindrance anymore and donors tend to engage in this kind of trade
because of survival. Brokers find a way like in some countries it is illegal to sell a kidney but not
to purchase one. In other countries it is illegal to buy and sell within the country but not to buy
and/or to sell abroad because of this organ traffickers can continue doing this kind of trading
because they have enough knowledge about this compare to the people who a victims of this
kind of system.

My stand from both topics shows that they both violate human rights even it undergo a
legal process. It is legal by law but morally and ethically it violates human rights. This topics can
have a negative result because we are talking about life people who have great power and
knowledge about this will eventually take advantage to those who lack knowledge about this.

8. If someday in the future, you are approached by somebody who will offer to buy your
kidney for a large sum of money, like 120 million USD, will you sell your kidney? Justify
your decision.
Answer:
No! Because for they are good ways to earn money rather than putting my life at risk.
Maybe the money will help me but for only for the meantime. Look at the bigger picture what if
after the surgery there are many complications, you will lessen your activities because you tend
to get tired easily, endless check-ups to the hospitals. You end up spending your money in the
hospital plus you’re going to live a life differently compared to what you used to live. Your life
span decreases because you’re at risk to have many illnesses because you lack something.
Money can help you but for a mean time only that is why we need to make sure that all our
actions will not back fire to us. Also in that future been talking about in this question I think I
don’t need that kind of money because during that time I am earning and also helping people as
a nurse.
9. Has your stand changed since answering Question no. 7? Why or why not?
Answer:
My stand did not change because for me both topics affect human convictions in life.
The way they see instead of helping they turn it into business where they deceive people to
earn money. Poverty plays a major role because nowadays money is what runs the world.
People forget the importance of life and the right of people as long as they gain something out
of it that can make them escape in their situation. People in the medical field, if I’m not wrong
sometimes they were involved in this kind of trade especially here in the Philippines because
doctor and nurses are over work but under pay. They engage to this because they can earn
more and faster. Sometime they forget what they oath about their profession because of the
need of money. People forget the true meaning of life for the sake of survival.

10. What lessons have you learned from the case?

Answer:
 The lesson I’ve learned from the case is there are many ways for us to survive or save
our family, we don’t need to do something immoral for us to survive it’s just the matter of how
we handle our problems. Taking care of our health is like taking care of everyone because in
this case as long as you are a healthy person, people who are willing to sell their organs in a
low price will decrease because the demand decreases also. I learned also that we should not
take advantage of the status in life of others for us to extend our life just accept the fact that it’s
your destiny to die and it’s your own action that made you end up having that kind of illness. It’s
not a valid reason that you’re ill so you need a donor, in the first place if you took care of
yourself you’ll not be ill. So we need to take care of ourselves and always think before you make
decisions because you can’t turn back time. Always think if your action does not violate other
rights or does not make your forget the importance of moral values.