I sold my kidney despite being pregnant: Khori Gul

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): A number of internally displaced people in western Herat province say many youth, teenagers, women and even children have sold their kidneys to survive extreme poverty.

The IDPs, forced by war to leave their homes, currently reside in Regrition area of Enjil district, say they have sold their kidneys for 280,000 afghanis to 350,000 afghanis each.

They say that most of those selling their organs were youth, women and some children.

Khori Gul, a 28 years-old woman, said she sold her kidney for 290,000 afghanis at a time when she was pregnant.

Disabled in her legs, she said she sold her kidney in order to cure her disability.

She said they did not receive any assistance from the government since displacement.

“I was 20 days pregnant, thanks God my child is now two months old,” Gul added.

Bibi Gul, 25, said she sold her kidney for 300,000 afghanis three months ago to feed her four children.

“I have no one to help, not even father and mother, I sold my kidney for my four minors,” she said.

Bahauddin and Abdul Zahir are two youths in Regrition area who sold their kidneys in order to provide livelihood for their families.

The two men say that after nine months of their organs’ removal, their remaining kidneys have now developed stones and they could not work.

Bahauddin said, “I sold my kidney for 315,000 afghanis due to poverty and miserable situation as my father was ill and I wanted to help him, but he died, I still suffer from serious economic issues.”

Abdul Zahir said, “I sold my kidney because I wanted to pay for dowry of my marriage, my father has heart disease and I wanted to help him too, but now my second kidney has stones and I cannot work like in the past.”

Jamila and Baz Mohammad are two other displaced persons who said that they visited Luqman Hakim Hospital in Herat city to offer them their kidneys. They said that they were in the list of kidney sellers and they would sell the organs when called by the hospital.

Many other displaced people who suffer from poverty also want to sell their kidneys to help them in their economy.

Taj Mohammad, a representative of IDPs in Enjil district, told Pajhwok that more than 200 youths and teenagers displaced by the conflict had sold their kidneys in Regrition area over the last two years.

Mohammad Rafiq Sherzai, spokesman for the Herat public health department, termed organ sale as illegal. He said two local hospitals, Luqman Hakim and Afghan Aria, performed kidney transplant operations.

He said more than 200 kidney transplants had been performed by the two hospitals in the last two years.

Shirzai said judicial organs had been informed about the matter and if any violations were committed in this regard, the perpetrators would be taken to task.

He said the business of human organs was not legal but they did not find any deals over sale or buying of organs in the two hospitals.

However, Herat governor’s house in a statement said officials of hospitals if involved in selling of kidneys would be introduced to judicial organs.

The statement said Herat governor, Sayed Abdul Wahid Qatali, had met with a number of people who claimed they had donated their kidneys.

The statement said the displaced people suffering from poverty would be first provided with assistance and then with job opportunities.

mds/ma