Illegal Blood and Organ Farming

According to WHO statistics every country needs at least 1% of blood reserve but for the entire population of India only 9 million unit is collected whereas 12 million unit of blood is annually required, which shows a deficit of 25%. Some times the deficit rise up to 50% and this leads to the rise of illegal blood farming in India. In 2011, blood was sold for $337 per unit in international market, and blood was taken out even from children and prisoners.

In blood farms people are caged and extracted blood at least 16 times a month and they are just fed twice daily. In India the blood is sold for $18/unit which is 15 times higher than the government rate. Due to the lack of a Central Blood Agency authenticity of the reports are not confirmed. Rough estimate says that India needs 3 million units of blood and when it is multiplied by $15, the worth of illegal blood donation business is $45 million annually.

Health issues are also reported along with illegal blood donation that too at a higher rate. The National Thalassemia Welfare Society estimates say that 6.8% of Thalassemic patients contracts fatal diseases including HIV. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics reported that 23 Thalassemic children contracted HIV due to illegal blood donation in 2011. Non profit blood banks under clubs like Rotary clubs are costlier and available only in limited cities. Public interest litigation filed in Gujarat revealed that the voluntary blood donation levels are too high and earnings of blood banks have gone up to $1.9 million by selling blood and blood components.

Organ and blood farming records from International segment is really scary. Among all the nations only Iran allow organ trade, even then 2 million products from human tissue are sold annually in the US. In the US alone more than 1 lakh patients are in waiting list for organ transplantation. One gram of bone marrow costs $23,000. In India a surrogate womb is available for $23,000 to $30000. Even dead bodies are not spared where as skin costs $10 per inch, skeleton for $2300, hearts cost $11, 9000 in illegal market. Altogether a human body has the value of $45 million.