2007年VOA标准英语-Philippines Tries to Reduce Sales of Kidneys fo

By Douglas Bakshian
Manila
19 March 2007

In the Philippines, as in other impoverished¹ parts of the world, selling a kidney may seem to offer an answer to financial hardship. But only the poorest of the poor resort to this, and their gains are often temporary. Douglas Bakshian reports from Manila, where he visited a district known as No-Kidney Island.

 
Reynaldo Yap, 29, in the Baseco section of Manila's port area
Reynaldo Yap has spent yet another uncomfortable night. After long hours working on a Manila dock, the scar on his side would not let him find the rest that he needed.

It has been a little more than one year since the 29-year-old sold his kidney. Even though he generally feels well, and can carry heavy loads, something seems different.

On cool days and nights he says he feels numb² where the operation was, sometimes it hurts.

His story is only one of many in a place called Isla Walang Bato, or No-Kidney Island, in the Baseco section of Manila.

Running short of money and hope, Reynaldo decided³ to sell one of his kidneys to pay off a loan on a piece of land. He also bought some household appliances and sent money to his parents. 
Close-up of scar where 29-year-old Reynaldo Yap had his kidney removed in a deal under which he received about $1,700 
 

A broker⁴ arranged a deal under which Reynaldo received about $1,740 - a lot of money for a laborer⁵ making about $6 a day.

A Canadian received the organ. This is not unusual in the Philippines, where medical authorities estimate that in some large hospitals, more than 50 percent of all organs go to foreigners.

If a donor⁶ wants to make a private arrangement to sell a kidney, there is no law to stop him. However, it is illegal for a third party, or broker, to arrange the sale. To get around the law, the relationship is hidden, and it is difficult for the authorities to arrest violators.

Police Inspector⁷ Norberto Murillo works in Baseco.

"We hardly detect the brokers⁸ because [what] the brokers do is to accompany the donator to the doctors. So the brokers serve as a companion," he said. "And they don't put them as a broker, only a companion. It is only a secret agreement between the two of them."

How many residents of Baseco have sold their kidney over the years? Getting an accurate figure is difficult, although one University of the Philippines study estimates the number may be as high as three thousand.

According to Manila's National Kidney and Transplant Institute, or NKTI, there were just over 2,300 transplants in the Philippines between 2000 and 2005. It is not known how many of those kidneys were sold.

As with any major surgery, there are serious risks to removing a kidney. Donors⁹ can get infections or suffer other complications. And although most people can live healthy lives with only kidney, there is always a chance that donors may later develop kidney disease or other health problems.

A few years ago, the government began a program to educate poor kidney donors about the risks. This includes counseling for potential donors, twice-monthly transplant seminars at NKTI, brochures, and speeches around the country.

But Dr. Remedios de Belen-Uriarte, manager of the Philippine Organ Donation program in the Department of Health, says the effort has to be intensified¹⁰ because the commercial kidney traffic still goes on.

"We have to concentrate really on the indigent¹¹, or poor people, for them to know the consequences on their health, on their way of living after organ donation," said Belen-Uriarte.

A regulated approach to donations has been set up through the Kidney Foundation of the Philippines, a private organization. It offers a package of benefits worth about six thousand dollars to qualified¹² donors. This includes free annual check-ups, life insurance, and cash. But the program is just over a year old, and its reach so far is limited.

 
Rusting barge¹³ in Baseco section of Manila's port area
That means the poor continue to take the risk. Many benefit little from the money they receive by selling part of their body. Baseco community councilor Rey Campenera says people frequently spend the money on short-term benefits.

"They don't know how to invest the money. They spend most of the money buying appliances, prettifying their house," he said. "But the problem is, after three or four months they have no more money so they go on selling those appliances they bought."

Baseco is not alone; there are other places in the Philippines where such activity goes on, and other developing nations as well.

Demand for transplants is massive. In the United States alone, the United Network for Organ Sharing says more than 95,000 people await transplants, mostly for kidneys. But only about 29,000 transplants were performed in 2006.

The World Health Organization says the international trade in organs is increasing, fueled by growing demand and unethical traffickers. According to the WHO, brokers may charge up to $200,000 to organize a transplant for wealthy patients.

1 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

5 laborer   

n.劳动者，劳工

参考例句：

• Her husband had been a farm laborer.她丈夫以前是个农场雇工。
• He worked as a casual laborer and did not earn much.他当临时工，没有赚多少钱。

6 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

7 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

8 brokers   

n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• The firm in question was Alsbery & Co., whiskey brokers. 那家公司叫阿尔斯伯里公司，经销威士忌。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• From time to time a telephone would ring in the brokers' offices. 那两排经纪人房间里不时响着叮令的电话。 来自子夜部分

9 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 indigent   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的

参考例句：

• The town government is responsible for assistance to indigent people.镇政府负责给穷人提供帮助。
• A judge normally appoints the attorney for an indigent defendant at the defendant's first court appearence.法官通常会在贫穷被告人第一次出庭时，为其指派一名辩护律师。

12 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

13 barge   

n.平底载货船，驳船

参考例句：

• The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。
• Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。