Plight of kidney victims in tsunami shelter bad

Chennai, Jan 21 (UNI) Selling her kidney for a price to tide over poverty has turned into a shocking consequence for an 18-year old woman at the temporary tsunami shelter near Ennore in the city here.

A kidney trade racket involving poverty-stricken fisherwomen has come to light in the city.

Initially, Kalaiarasi, the victim thought that after donating her organ it would take only a short people time to heal and adjust to normal life.

However, it would now be difficult for her to have a normal sexual life with her spouse.

''Doctor told me that I cannot lead a normal sexual life anymore with my husband'', Kalaiarasi said.

''I committed the biggest mistake of my life'', she lamented.

It was reported that the fisherwomen, most of them married, who sold their kidneys were in the 18 to 35 age group.

Indrani (35), on the other hand, said she had sold her kidney to marry off her daughter.

''I am not able to work,''she said.

Arul Das, a volunteer from Unorganised Workers Federation(UWF), who is working for the rehabilitation of the tsunami survivors revealed that most fisherwomen sold their kidneys off through middlemen, as the tsunami had robbed them of their livelihood, virtually drowning them in debt.

''Local kidney brokers lured the tsunami survivors to sell their kidneys in Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka, he pointed out.

''Each kidney was sold anything between Rs 10 and 15 lakh to the rich persons in these countries'', Arul Das said adding these women kidneys was transplanted to these people in about ten private hospitals across the state''.

He said many rich people, especially from the neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, used to come to these private hospital regularly through the brokers and would wait for the innocent victims, he said.

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