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Tuesday - April - 26 - 2005 Deceitful doctors and the missing kidney Compiled by Ashraf Naggui Eighteen-month-old Ingy Karim has lost one of her two kidneys at Abul Rish Children's Hospital, according to a news report published last week. Her family don't exactly know where Ingy's kidney has gone. However, they suspect that either the kidney was stolen or removed because of a medical blunder during surgery. The case really opens the file of the organ transplant black market that has flourished in recent years. Brokers, who use every trick in the book to get what their customers want, dominate the market. A kidney is now worth LE30,000, the equivalent of over US$5,000. Last year, the Syndicate of Physicians received three complaints against doctors suspected of stealing their patients' kidneys. Although the Syndicate denied the kidneys had been stolen, the three cases were investigated by the Prosecution. Azza Kamal Tawfiq, Ingy's mother, recalls the little girl being admitted to Abul Rish Children's Hospital in December 2003. "Days after Ingy was born, we noticed that she was suffering from flatulence. It gradually got worse and worse. I became extremely worried and we eventually rushed her to Abul Rish Hospital," she says. "Ingy spent 19 days in hospital. Tests indicated there was nothing wrong, while the doctors and nurses assured me my daughter was all right and that hers was a rare case," Mrs Tawfiq told al-Mosawer weekly Arabic-language magazine. "During her stay at the hospital, Ingy caught bronchitis and the doctors had to wait till she recovered before deciding to do anything. Eventually, they decided to operate on Ingy, based on the X-ray evidence. "We still don't know why surgeons removed one of her kidneys, although doctors said they had to operate to stop Ingy's flatulence," said Mrs Tawfiq, unable to control her tears. "The operation lasted for three hours. And while I was waiting outside the operating theatre, nurses wheeled out another little girl who looked very much like Ingy. The similarity struck me again when I discovered that my daughter had lost one of her kidneys." Mrs Tawfiq suspects that the other little girl was given one of Ingy's kidneys. "After the surgery, Ingy was in a bad way and then doctors alleged that they'd discovered a tumour and had had to remove a kidney. To adding insult to injury, they said that my daughter would have to have dialysis. "I nearly collapsed when I heard that. An 18-month-old baby having dialysis? The doctors also gave me a bag with the removed kidney in. At least, that's what they told me. The 'kidney' turned out to be surgical waste. "It was then that I suddenly remembered seeing the other girl being wheeled out of the operating theatre while Ingy was under the knife," Mrs Tawfiq told al-Mosawer. Mohammed Ali Karim, Ingy's father, says he should have signed the papers to authorise the operation on Ingy. "Signing the papers is the common procedure, but when I arrived at the hospital at 3pm, I was surprised and very angry to learn that my little girl was already under the knife," he recalls. Mr Karim says the team of surgeons briefed him 'on the real reasons' for removing the kidney. "However, I wasn't convinced. I took Ingy's X-rays to a very respectable lab here in Cairo and the doctors there told me that her kidneys were as right as rain," he told al-Mosawer. "Doctors at Abul Rish tried to force me into signing the papers after the operation, but I refused and resorted to the Syndicate of Physicians, the Ministers of Health and Interior and the Prime Minister. "I received no reply, but I haven't given up. I filed a complaint at the Prosecutor-General's office on 28th September 2004 and he referred it to North Cairo Prosecution, which is investigating the case," said Mr Karim, urging governmental officials to look into Ingy's case, to prevent other innocent children and their poor parents suffering so inhumanely.
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This happens more often than people would believe. For instance, this practice is quite common with Palestinians. Israel happens to be one of the most advanced in organ transplants. The wealth of people purchasing organs, makes for a lucrative trade. The families of the youth who had their organs removed, are never given the choice of donating their deceased relative's organs. Their bodies are returned, stapled and minus the organs. No explanation is given.
We had a debate once about a Palestinian family who had a son who was killed. As bad as they felt, the family decided to donate organs...in the hope of some resolution to this terrible tragedy. The organs went to several Israeli families. The debate was, did the family do the right thing?
I told the forum that when a family decides to donate organs on behalf of a deceased relative, the family has no idea who the organs will go to. The tissue is typed, blood is checked and a recipient is selected. The family had only good intentions, but unfortunately the system is less than perfect. Was the selection of recipients fair in Israel? Probably not. But once the papers are signed, the control of those organs go to the hospital and it's administration. The family is blameless but the politics are dirty. Organs go to the highest bidder.
I know of people who actually sold their kidney for money. One of them has been told that his other kidney has cancer with no cure.The frustration this man must feel is tremendous...to know he signed his own death warrent for money. All I can figure, is the man MUST have been desparate.
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Ya but wetout they know it Sometimes they use street children,i don't know if it's truh i read it somewhere !!
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i read it somewhere !!
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