Asia Sentinel, 21 Jan 2009, Ben Bland
I Lost My Kidney/To a Guy Named Sidney
Across Asia, the going rate for a kidney is usually agreed in the backstreet surgery of some unscrupulous doctor but in Singapore the government will soon be setting the price for this much in-demand organ. A controversial amendment to legalize the payment of compensation to organ donors was put before the Singapore parliament this week and while the health ministry is yet to decide on the upper limit for reimbursement, it is expected to be at least S$50,000 (US$33,000).
The move is designed to help put an end to the illegal practice of organ trading that is prevalent in so many Asian countries, driven by a large supply of desperately poor people and a small core of wealthy individuals willing to pay any price to preserve their faltering health.
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