Latest news with #Zeya
BBC News
26-02-2025
- BBC News
'I sell my kidney to get my own house and pay my debts'
"I just want make I get my own house and pay all my debts – dat na why I decide to sell my kidney," Zeya wey be farm worker for Myanmar tok. Prices shoot go up afta one coup wey occur for 2021 cause civil war. Im bin find am hard to feed im young family and gbese bin full im head. Dem bin all live for im mother-in-law house, for one village wia thatch house line up for roads wey dey few hours drive from di kontri biggest city, Yangon. Zeya, wey we change im name to hide im identity, sabi some local pipo wey don sell one of dia kidneys. "Dem look healthy to me," e tok. So im begin ask around. Im follow among di eight pipo for di area wey tell BBC Burmese say dem sell one kidney by travelling to India. Illegal organ trading na problem across Asia, and Zeya story help torchlight how e dey take happun. Arranging di deal Buying or selling human organs dey illegal for both Myanmar and India, but im say, im soon find one man wey im call "broker". Im say di man arrange medical tests and, few weeks later, tell am say dem don find one potential receiver – na Burmese woman - and say dem two fit travel go India for di surgery. For India, if di donor and receiver no be close relatives, dem must to show say dem no dey donate am for selfish reason and explain di relationship between dem. Zeya say di broker forge one document, wey every family for Myanmar must get, listing di details of family members. "Di broker put my name for di receiver family tree," im explain. Im say di broker make am look like say im dey donate to pesin wey im dey related to by marriage - "someone wey no be blood relative, but distant relative". Den, im say, di broker carry am go meet di receiver for Yangon. For dia, im say one man wey introduce imsef as doctor complete more paperwork and warn Zeya say im go pay plenty money if im say im no do again. BBC bin contact dis man afterwards, wey say im part for di mata na to check weda or not di patient dey fit to do di procedure, not to check di relationship between donor and receiver. Zeya say dem bin tell am say im go collect 7.5m Myanmar kyats. Dis na somewia between $1,700 and $2,700 over di last few years - di unofficial exchange rate no stable since di coup. Im say im fly go northern India for di operation and e happun for one big hospital. All transplants wey involve pipo from foreign kontris for India must dey approved by one panel wey dem dey call authorisation committee, wey either di hospital or local goment establish. Zeya say four pipo bin interview am, through one translator. "Dem ask me if I dey willing to donate my kidney to her, not by force," im say. Im say e explain give dem say di recipient na relative and di transplant dey approved. Zeya remember di doctors as dem bin dey give am anaesthetic before im lost consciousness. "No big issues happun afta di surgery, except say I bin no fit move without pain," im tok, come add say im stay for hospital for one week. 'Fake mama' Anoda donor, Myo Win - also no be im real name - tell BBC say im too bin get to pretend say im dey related to one stranger. "Di broker give me one paper, and I get to memorise wetin dem write inside," im tok, come add say dem tell am to say di pesin wey dey receive di kidney dey married to one of im relatives. "Di pesin wey bin assess my case also call my mama, but di broker arrange one fake mama for di call," im tok. E say di pesin wey ansa di call confam say im dey donate im kidney to one relative wit her permission. Myo Win say dem bin offer am di same amount of money as Zeya, but dem describe am as "charitable donation", and im bin pay di broker about 10% of am. Both men say dem bin give dem one third of di money up front. Myo Win say dis bin dey im mind as im enta di operating theatre: "I make up my mind say I get to do am becos I don already collect dia money." Im add say im bin "chose dis desperate way" as im bin dey struggle wit gbese and medical bills for im wife. Unemployment don rise for Myanmar since di coup wey make foreign investors run. For 2017, one quarter of di population bin dey live in poverty - but by 2023, di number don rise to half, according to UN development agency, UNDP. Myo Win say di broker no tell am say selling im kidney dey illegal. "I for no do am if to say im tell me. I dey fear to go prison," im say. Di BBC no go name any organisation or pipo so dat e go protect di identity, anonymity and safety of pipo wey we interview. However, anoda man for Myanmar, wey also no want make dem call im name, tell BBC say im don help about 10 pipo buy or sell kidney through surgery for India. Im say im bin refer pipo go one "agency" for Mandalay wey dey central Myanmar, wey im say make arrangements. "But no worry about donors," im tok. "We get list of donors wey dey queue up to donate dia kidneys." E too say dem dey fake di documents to label strangers as related by marriage. Wen dem ask am weda im dey collect money for im help, im no ansa. Arrests in India Organ transplants don increase by more dan 50% worldwide since 2010, as dem dey do reach about 150,000 per year, according to World Health Organization (WHO). But di supply of organs meet only about 10% of global need. Trading in human body parts dey illegal for nearly all kontris and e dey hard to measure. For 2007, WHO give estimate say 5-10% of organs wey dem transplant come from black market, but di numbers fit dey higher. Documents dey of illegal kidney sales wey don occur in recent years sake of poverty across Asia, including Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh. For long time, India na centre for medical tourism and concern about selling of kidney don dey rise for dia sake of accounts for media reports and one recent police investigate. Last July, India police say dem bin arrest seven pipo wey get connection wit one alleged kidney racket, including one India doctor and her assistant. Police allege say di group dey arrange for poor Bangladesh pipo to sell dia kidneys, using fake documents to get approval for di transplants. Dr Vijaya Rajakumari, wey bin dey work for di ogbonge Indraprastha Apollo Hospital for Delhi, bin allegedly do operations as visiting consultant for one different hospital, Yatharth, wey dey few kilometres away. Her lawyer tell BBC say di allegations "dey entirely baseless and without evidence", say she only bin dey do surgeries wey authorisation committees approve and she dey always act according to di law. According to her bail order, dem no accuse her of preparing fake documents. Yatharth Hospital tell BBC say all im cases, including di ones wey visiting consultants dey manage, "dey subject to our strong protocols to make sure say dem comply wit legal and ethical standards". "We don further improve our processes to prevent dat kain tin from happening for future," di hospital tok. Afta her arrest, Apollo Hospitals say Dr Rajakumari na freelance consultant wey dey work on fee-for-service basis and e don end all clinical engagements wit her. Dem never carry Dr Rajakumari go court. 'No regrets' Last April, one senior health ministry official write to Indian states warning of "rise" in transplants wey involve foreigners and call for better monitoring. Under Indian law, foreigner wey wish to donate or receive organs must get dia documents, including di ones wey show di relationship between donor and recipient, and dia own kontri embassy for India go verify am. Di BBC contact India heath ministry and di National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization, as well as Myanmar military goment for comment, but no receive response. One public health campaigner for Myanmar, Dr Thurein Hlaing Win, say: "Law enforcement no dey effective." Im add say potential donors need to dey aware of di risks, including of bleeding during surgery and damage to oda organs, adding say dem also need proper follow-up. Di last time wey BBC bin hear from Zeya na several months afta im surgery. "I bin dey able to settle my debts and buy one plot of land," im tok. But im say im bin no fit afford to build house and no fit construct one as im bin dey recover from di surgery. E say im bin dey suffer from back pain. "I have to restart work soon. If di side effects strike again, I get to deal with am. I no get regrets about am," im add. E say im bin dey in touch wit di receiver for some time, and she tell am say she dey in good health wit im kidney. Speaking on condition of anonymity, she tell BBC say she pay 100m kyats (between around $22,000 and $35,000 in recent years) in total. She deny say dem forge documents, maintaining say Zeya na her relative. Six months afta im surgery, Myo Win tell BBC say im pay off im debts, but not all. "I no get work and one penny no remain," im say, come add say im dey experience some stomach problems since di surgery. E say im no get regrets, but den e come add say: "I dey tell oda pipo make dem no do am. E no good."
Saudi Gazette
26-02-2025
- Saudi Gazette
Myanmar villagers reveal 'desperate' illegal kidney sales
YANGON/DELHI — "I just wanted to own a house and pay off my debts — that's why I decided to sell my kidney," says Zeya, a farm worker in Myanmar. Prices had soared after a military coup in 2021 triggered civil war. He could barely feed his young family and was badly in debt. They all lived in his mother-in-law's house, in a village where thatched houses lined dirt roads, a few hours' drive from the country's largest city, Yangon. Zeya, whose name has been changed to conceal his identity, knew of local people who had sold one of their kidneys. "They looked healthy to me," he says. So he started asking around. He is one of eight people in the area who told BBC Burmese they had sold a kidney by traveling to India. Illegal organ trading is a problem across Asia, and Zeya's story gives an insight into how it takes place. Buying or selling human organs is illegal in both Myanmar and India, but Zeya says he soon found a man he describes as a "broker". He says the man arranged medical tests and, a few weeks later, told him a potential recipient — a Burmese woman — had been found, and that both of them could travel to India for the surgery. In India, if the donor and recipient are not close relatives, they must demonstrate that the motive is altruistic and explain the relationship between them. Zeya says the broker forged a document, which every household in Myanmar must have, listing the details of family members. "The broker put my name in the recipient's family tree," he explains. He says the broker made it appear as if he was donating to someone he was related to by marriage: "Someone who is not a blood relative, but a distant relative". Then, he says, the broker took him to meet the recipient in Yangon. There, he says a man who introduced himself as a doctor completed more paperwork and warned Zeya he would have to pay a substantial fee if he backed out. The BBC contacted this man afterward, who said his role was to check whether a patient was fit to undergo the procedure, not to check the relationship between donor and recipient. Zeya says he was told he would receive 7.5m Myanmar kyats. This has been worth somewhere between $1,700 and $2,700 over the past couple of years — the unofficial exchange rate has fluctuated since the coup. He says he flew to northern India for the operation and it took place in a large hospital. All transplants involving foreign nationals in India must be approved by a panel called an authorization committee, established either by the hospital or by local government. Zeya says he was interviewed, via a translator, by about four people. "They asked me if I was willingly donating my kidney to her, not by force," he says. He says he explained the recipient was a relative and the transplant was approved. Zeya remembers the doctors administering the anesthetic before he lost consciousness. "There were no big issues after the surgery, except that I couldn't move without pain," he says, adding that he stayed in hospital for a week afterward. Another donor, Myo Win — also not his real name — told the BBC he too had pretended to be related to a stranger. "The broker gave me a piece of paper, and I had to memorize what was written on it," he says, adding that he was told to say the recipient was married to one of his relatives. "The person assessing my case also called my mum, but the broker arranged a fake mum for the call," he says. He adds that the person who answered the call confirmed he was donating his kidney to a relative with her permission. Myo Win says he was offered the same amount of money as Zeya, but that it was described as a "charitable donation", and he had to pay the broker about 10% of the amount. Both men say they were given a third of the money up front. Myo Win says this was in his thoughts as he entered the operating theatre: "I made up my mind that I had to do it because I had already taken their money." He adds that he "chose this desperate way" as he was struggling with debt and medical bills for his wife. Unemployment rates have climbed in Myanmar since the coup — the war has ravaged the economy and sent foreign investors fleeing. In 2017, a quarter of the population were living in poverty — but by 2023, this had risen to half, according to the UN's development agency, UNDP. Myo Win says the broker did not tell him selling his kidney was illegal. "I wouldn't have done it if he did. I am afraid of ending up in prison," he says. The BBC is not naming any of the organizations or individuals involved in order to protect the anonymity and safety of the interviewees. However, another man in Myanmar, also speaking anonymously, told the BBC he had helped about 10 people buy or sell kidneys via surgery in India. He said he referred people to an "agency" in Mandalay in central Myanmar, which he said made arrangements. "But don't worry about donors," he said. "We have a list of donors who are queuing up to donate their kidneys." He too said documents were faked to label strangers as related by marriage. When asked whether he received money for his help, he did not answer. Organ transplants have increased by more than 50% worldwide since 2010, with about 150,000 carried out annually, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). But it says the supply of organs meets only about 10% of global need. Trading in human body parts is illegal in nearly all countries and is hard to measure. In 2007, the WHO estimated that 5-10% of transplanted organs came from the black market, but the figure may be higher. Illegal kidney sales driven by poverty have been documented in recent years across Asia, including in Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh. India has long been a hub for medical tourism and concern there about kidney sales has been rising, following accounts in media reports and a recent police investigation. Last July, Indian police said they had arrested seven people in connection with an alleged kidney racket, including an Indian doctor and her assistant. Police allege the group arranged for poor Bangladeshis to sell their kidneys, using forged documents to secure approval for the transplants. Dr Vijaya Rajakumari, who had been working at the prestigious Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi, is alleged to have carried out the operations as a visiting consultant at a different hospital, Yatharth, a few kilometers away. Her lawyer told the BBC the allegations "are entirely baseless and without evidence", that she only carried out surgeries approved by authorisation committees and always acted in accordance with the law. According to her bail order, she is not accused of preparing forged documents. Yatharth Hospital told the BBC all its cases, including those managed by visiting consultants, "are subject to our robust protocols to ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards". "We have further enhanced our processes to prevent any such occurrences in the future," the hospital said. After her arrest, Apollo Hospitals said Dr Rajakumari was a freelance consultant engaged on a fee-for-service basis and it had discontinued all clinical engagements with her. Dr Rajakumari has not been charged in court. Last April, a senior health ministry official wrote to Indian states warning of a "surge" in transplants involving foreigners and calling for better monitoring. Under Indian law, foreign nationals who wish to donate or receive organs must have their documents, including those showing the relationship between donor and recipient, verified by their own country's embassy in India. The BBC contacted India's heath ministry and the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization, as well as Myanmar's military government for comment, but has received no response. A public health campaigner in Myanmar, Dr Thurein Hlaing Win, said: "Law enforcement is not effective." He added that potential donors need to be aware of the risks, including of bleeding during surgery and damage to other organs, adding that proper follow-up care is needed. The BBC last heard from Zeya several months after his surgery. "I was able to settle my debts and bought a plot of land," he said. But he said he couldn't afford to build a house and had not been able to construct one while recovering from the surgery. He said he had been suffering from back pain. "I have to restart working soon. If the side effects strike again, I have to deal with it. I have no regrets about it," he added. He said he stayed in touch with the recipient for a while, and she had told him she was in good health with his kidney. Speaking on condition of anonymity, she told the BBC she paid 100m kyats (between around $22,000 and $35,000 in recent years) in total. She denied that documents were forged, maintaining that Zeya was her relative. Six months after his surgery, Myo Win told the BBC he had paid off most of his debts, but not all. "I have no job and not even a penny left," he said, adding that he had been experiencing some stomach problems since the surgery. He said he had no regrets, but then added: "I am telling other people not to do this. It is not good." — BBC
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Myanmar villagers reveal 'desperate' illegal kidney sales
"I just wanted to own a house and pay off my debts - that's why I decided to sell my kidney," says Zeya, a farm worker in Myanmar. Prices had soared after a military coup in 2021 triggered civil war. He could barely feed his young family and was badly in debt. They all lived in his mother-in-law's house, in a village where thatched houses lined dirt roads, a few hours' drive from the country's largest city, Yangon. Zeya, whose name has been changed to conceal his identity, knew of local people who had sold one of their kidneys. "They looked healthy to me," he says. So he started asking around. He is one of eight people in the area who told BBC Burmese they had sold a kidney by travelling to India. Illegal organ trading is a problem across Asia, and Zeya's story gives an insight into how it takes place. Buying or selling human organs is illegal in both Myanmar and India, but Zeya says he soon found a man he describes as a "broker". He says the man arranged medical tests and, a few weeks later, told him a potential recipient - a Burmese woman - had been found, and that both of them could travel to India for the surgery. In India, if the donor and recipient are not close relatives, they must demonstrate that the motive is altruistic and explain the relationship between them. Zeya says the broker forged a document, which every household in Myanmar must have, listing the details of family members. "The broker put my name in the recipient's family tree," he explains. He says the broker made it appear as if he was donating to someone he was related to by marriage: "Someone who is not a blood relative, but a distant relative". Then, he says, the broker took him to meet the recipient in Yangon. There, he says a man who introduced himself as a doctor completed more paperwork and warned Zeya he would have to pay a substantial fee if he backed out. The BBC contacted this man afterwards, who said his role was to check whether a patient was fit to undergo the procedure, not to check the relationship between donor and recipient. Zeya says he was told he would receive 7.5m Myanmar kyats. This has been worth somewhere between $1,700 and $2,700 over the past couple of years - the unofficial exchange rate has fluctuated since the coup. He says he flew to northern India for the operation and it took place in a large hospital. All transplants involving foreign nationals in India must be approved by a panel called an authorisation committee, established either by the hospital or by local government. Zeya says he was interviewed, via a translator, by about four people. "They asked me if I was willingly donating my kidney to her, not by force," he says. He says he explained the recipient was a relative and the transplant was approved. Zeya remembers the doctors administering the anaesthetic before he lost consciousness. "There were no big issues after the surgery, except that I couldn't move without pain," he says, adding that he stayed in hospital for a week afterwards. Another donor, Myo Win - also not his real name - told the BBC he too had pretended to be related to a stranger. "The broker gave me a piece of paper, and I had to memorise what was written on it," he says, adding that he was told to say the recipient was married to one of his relatives. "The person assessing my case also called my mum, but the broker arranged a fake mum for the call," he says. He adds that the person who answered the call confirmed he was donating his kidney to a relative with her permission. Myo Win says he was offered the same amount of money as Zeya, but that it was described as a "charitable donation", and he had to pay the broker about 10% of the amount. Both men say they were given a third of the money up front. Myo Win says this was in his thoughts as he entered the operating theatre: "I made up my mind that I had to do it because I had already taken their money." He adds that he "chose this desperate way" as he was struggling with debt and medical bills for his wife. Unemployment rates have climbed in Myanmar since the coup - the war has ravaged the economy and sent foreign investors fleeing. In 2017, a quarter of the population were living in poverty - but by 2023, this had risen to half, according to the UN's development agency, UNDP. Myo Win says the broker did not tell him selling his kidney was illegal. "I wouldn't have done it if he did. I am afraid of ending up in prison," he says. The BBC is not naming any of organisations or individuals involved in order to protect the anonymity and safety of the interviewees. However, another man in Myanmar, also speaking anonymously, told the BBC he had helped about 10 people buy or sell kidneys via surgery in India. He said he referred people to an "agency" in Mandalay in central Myanmar, which he said made arrangements. "But don't worry about donors," he said. "We have a list of donors who are queuing up to donate their kidneys." He too said documents were faked to label strangers as related by marriage. When asked whether he received money for his help, he did not answer. Organ transplants have increased by more than 50% worldwide since 2010, with about 150,000 carried out annually, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). But it says the supply of organs meets only about 10% of global need. Trading in human body parts is illegal in nearly all countries and is hard to measure. In 2007, the WHO estimated that 5-10% of transplanted organs came from the black market, but the figure may be higher. Illegal kidney sales driven by poverty have been documented in recent years across Asia, including in Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh. India has long been a hub for medical tourism and concern there about kidney sales has been rising, following accounts in media reports and a recent police investigation. Last July, Indian police said they had arrested seven people in connection with an alleged kidney racket, including an Indian doctor and her assistant. Police allege the group arranged for poor Bangladeshis to sell their kidneys, using forged documents to secure approval for the transplants. Dr Vijaya Rajakumari, who had been working at the prestigious Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi, is alleged to have carried out the operations as a visiting consultant at a different hospital, Yatharth, a few kilometres away. Her lawyer told the BBC the allegations "are entirely baseless and without evidence", that she only carried out surgeries approved by authorisation committees and always acted in accordance with the law. According to her bail order, she is not accused of preparing forged documents. Yatharth Hospital told the BBC all its cases, including those managed by visiting consultants, "are subject to our robust protocols to ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards". "We have further enhanced our processes to prevent any such occurrences in the future," the hospital said. After her arrest, Apollo Hospitals said Dr Rajakumari was a freelance consultant engaged on a fee-for-service basis and it had discontinued all clinical engagements with her. Dr Rajakumari has not been charged in court. Last April, a senior health ministry official wrote to Indian states warning of a "surge" in transplants involving foreigners and calling for better monitoring. Under Indian law, foreign nationals who wish to donate or receive organs must have their documents, including those showing the relationship between donor and recipient, verified by their own country's embassy in India. The BBC contacted India's heath ministry and the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization, as well as Myanmar's military government for comment, but has received no response. A public health campaigner in Myanmar, Dr Thurein Hlaing Win, said: "Law enforcement is not effective." He added that potential donors need to be aware of the risks, including of bleeding during surgery and damage to other organs, adding that proper follow-up care is needed. The BBC last heard from Zeya several months after his surgery. "I was able to settle my debts and bought a plot of land," he said. But he said he couldn't afford to build a house and had not been able to construct one while recovering from the surgery. He said he had been suffering from back pain. "I have to restart working soon. If the side effects strike again, I have to deal with it. I have no regrets about it," he added. He said he stayed in touch with the recipient for a while, and she had told him she was in good health with his kidney. Speaking on condition of anonymity, she told the BBC she paid 100m kyats (between around $22,000 and $35,000 in recent years) in total. She denied that documents were forged, maintaining that Zeya was her relative. Six months after his surgery, Myo Win told the BBC he had paid off most of his debts, but not all. "I have no job and not even a penny left," he said, adding that he had been experiencing some stomach problems since the surgery. He said he had no regrets, but then added: "I am telling other people not to do this. It is not good." Trafficked for a kidney and now forced into hiding Soldier-spies in Myanmar help pro-democracy rebels make crucial gains
BBC News
25-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Kidney trade: Myanmar villagers fly to India to sell organs illegally
"I just wanted to own a house and pay off my debts - that's why I decided to sell my kidney," says Zeya, a farm worker in had soared after a military coup in 2021 triggered civil war. He could barely feed his young family and was badly in all lived in his mother-in-law's house, in a village where thatched houses lined dirt roads, a few hours' drive from the country's largest city, whose name has been changed to conceal his identity, knew of local people who had sold one of their kidneys. "They looked healthy to me," he says. So he started asking is one of eight people in the area who told BBC Burmese they had sold a kidney by travelling to organ trading is a problem across Asia, and Zeya's story gives an insight into how it takes place. Arranging the deal Buying or selling human organs is illegal in both Myanmar and India, but Zeya says he soon found a man he describes as a "broker".He says the man arranged medical tests and, a few weeks later, told him a potential recipient - a Burmese woman - had been found, and that both of them could travel to India for the India, if the donor and recipient are not close relatives, they must demonstrate that the motive is altruistic and explain the relationship between says the broker forged a document, which every household in Myanmar must have, listing the details of family members."The broker put my name in the recipient's family tree," he says the broker made it appear as if he was donating to someone he was related to by marriage: "Someone who is not a blood relative, but a distant relative". Then, he says, the broker took him to meet the recipient in Yangon. There, he says a man who introduced himself as a doctor completed more paperwork and warned Zeya he would have to pay a substantial fee if he backed BBC contacted this man afterwards, who said his role was to check whether a patient was fit to undergo the procedure, not to check the relationship between donor and says he was told he would receive 7.5m Myanmar kyats. This has been worth somewhere between $1,700 and $2,700 over the past couple of years - the unofficial exchange rate has fluctuated since the says he flew to northern India for the operation and it took place in a large transplants involving foreign nationals in India must be approved by a panel called an authorisation committee, established either by the hospital or by local says he was interviewed, via a translator, by about four people."They asked me if I was willingly donating my kidney to her, not by force," he says he explained the recipient was a relative and the transplant was remembers the doctors administering the anaesthetic before he lost consciousness."There were no big issues after the surgery, except that I couldn't move without pain," he says, adding that he stayed in hospital for a week afterwards. 'Fake mum' Another donor, Myo Win - also not his real name - told the BBC he too had pretended to be related to a stranger."The broker gave me a piece of paper, and I had to memorise what was written on it," he says, adding that he was told to say the recipient was married to one of his relatives."The person assessing my case also called my mum, but the broker arranged a fake mum for the call," he says. He adds that the person who answered the call confirmed he was donating his kidney to a relative with her Win says he was offered the same amount of money as Zeya, but that it was described as a "charitable donation", and he had to pay the broker about 10% of the men say they were given a third of the money up front. Myo Win says this was in his thoughts as he entered the operating theatre: "I made up my mind that I had to do it because I had already taken their money."He adds that he "chose this desperate way" as he was struggling with debt and medical bills for his wife. Unemployment rates have climbed in Myanmar since the coup - the war has ravaged the economy and sent foreign investors fleeing. In 2017, a quarter of the population were living in poverty - but by 2023, this had risen to half, according to the UN's development agency, Win says the broker did not tell him selling his kidney was illegal. "I wouldn't have done it if he did. I am afraid of ending up in prison," he BBC is not naming any of organisations or individuals involved in order to protect the anonymity and safety of the another man in Myanmar, also speaking anonymously, told the BBC he had helped about 10 people buy or sell kidneys via surgery in said he referred people to an "agency" in Mandalay in central Myanmar, which he said made arrangements."But don't worry about donors," he said. "We have a list of donors who are queuing up to donate their kidneys."He too said documents were faked to label strangers as related by marriage. When asked whether he received money for his help, he did not answer. Arrests in India Organ transplants have increased by more than 50% worldwide since 2010, with about 150,000 carried out annually, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). But it says the supply of organs meets only about 10% of global in human body parts is illegal in nearly all countries and is hard to measure. In 2007, the WHO estimated that 5-10% of transplanted organs came from the black market, but the figure may be kidney sales driven by poverty have been documented in recent years across Asia, including in Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh. India has long been a hub for medical tourism and concern there about kidney sales has been rising, following accounts in media reports and a recent police July, Indian police said they had arrested seven people in connection with an alleged kidney racket, including an Indian doctor and her allege the group arranged for poor Bangladeshis to sell their kidneys, using forged documents to secure approval for the Vijaya Rajakumari, who had been working at the prestigious Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi, is alleged to have carried out the operations as a visiting consultant at a different hospital, Yatharth, a few kilometres lawyer told the BBC the allegations "are entirely baseless and without evidence", that she only carried out surgeries approved by authorisation committees and always acted in accordance with the law. According to her bail order, she is not accused of preparing forged Hospital told the BBC all its cases, including those managed by visiting consultants, "are subject to our robust protocols to ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards"."We have further enhanced our processes to prevent any such occurrences in the future," the hospital her arrest, Apollo Hospitals said Dr Rajakumari was a freelance consultant engaged on a fee-for-service basis and it had discontinued all clinical engagements with Rajakumari has not been charged in court. 'No regrets' Last April, a senior health ministry official wrote to Indian states warning of a "surge" in transplants involving foreigners and calling for better Indian law, foreign nationals who wish to donate or receive organs must have their documents, including those showing the relationship between donor and recipient, verified by their own country's embassy in BBC contacted India's heath ministry and the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization, as well as Myanmar's military government for comment, but has received no response.A public health campaigner in Myanmar, Dr Thurein Hlaing Win, said: "Law enforcement is not effective." He added that potential donors need to be aware of the risks, including of bleeding during surgery and damage to other organs, adding that proper follow-up care is needed. The BBC last heard from Zeya several months after his surgery."I was able to settle my debts and bought a plot of land," he he said he couldn't afford to build a house and had not been able to construct one while recovering from the surgery. He said he had been suffering from back pain."I have to restart working soon. If the side effects strike again, I have to deal with it. I have no regrets about it," he said he stayed in touch with the recipient for a while, and she had told him she was in good health with his on condition of anonymity, she told the BBC she paid 100m kyats (between around $22,000 and $35,000 in recent years) in total. She denied that documents were forged, maintaining that Zeya was her months after his surgery, Myo Win told the BBC he had paid off most of his debts, but not all."I have no job and not even a penny left," he said, adding that he had been experiencing some stomach problems since the said he had no regrets, but then added: "I am telling other people not to do this. It is not good."
