The Murky side of tissue donation!

English: Logo of NPR News. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I got my drivers license renewed one of the questions in the form asked me if I wanted to be registered as an organ donor. Feeling righteous and thinking that my body will be helpful to fellow human beings even after my death I obviously ticked the box and enrolled as one. When I signed up I was not aware of how much money my body was worth and who would benefit from it. Now after listening to a series of news reports on National Public Radio I have become painfully aware of the sleazy market that exists in this country for human tissue "donations".

As I listened to the radio program I was shocked to know that the organizations that harvest tissue and organs from dead humans are actually "For Profit" corporations whose CEOs I am quite sure make millions off of salvaging dead bodies who sign up for donations thinking that some poor soul somewhere in the world would benefit. That is not true either. Most of these 'donated' tissues are used in cosmetic surgeries.

That is not all, there is a well oiled machinery in morgues across the world to harvest human tissues and sell it to these corporations who pass them on to doctors and hospitals in the US for a fee of course. Most of these dead bodies are scavenged without the permission or even knowledge of their families, clandestinely in morgues.

Since there is little or no regulation or tracking of these tissue grafts nobody knows whose organ is being transplanted on whom and who is making money.

I am amazed at the way corporations are cheating common people even in their death to make a few $$$. Wonder what it will be next, will there be human farms to harvest organs in third world countries like Sub Saharan Africa, and South & South East Asia??? I wouldn't be surprised if these corporations powered by their capitalist arrogance and greed attempt this.