"Nepal Targeted for Organ Trade: 'Sold My Kidney for 2 Million Won Because They Said It Would Regrow'"

Shocking Reality of Long-Term Organ Trade in Nepal Hose Village
"Hard to Find Residents Who Haven't Sold a Kidney"
Surge in Kidney Failure Patients... Brokers Targeting Slums

A slum in Nepal has shocked the public after it was revealed to be targeted for organ trafficking, earning the nickname 'Kidney Village.' Villagers reportedly sold their organs to make a living, deceived by the false claim that 'kidneys grow back after being removed.' On the 2nd (local time), British Sky News reported, "Hose Village in eastern Kathmandu, Nepal, is known as the 'Kidney Village' because it is hard to find residents who have not sold their kidneys."

Residents of 'Hose Village' in Nepal, known as the 'Kidney Village,' are showing scars from kidney removal surgeries. [Source=Sky News capture]

Although the Nepalese government passed a law banning organ trafficking in 2007, the village has long been a target for organ trafficking brokers. Residents suffering from poverty continue to take risks to earn money. Due to lack of proper education, they were deceived by brokers who claimed, "Kidneys grow back over time after removal," and some even lost their lives undergoing illegal organ removal surgeries.

Kancha, a man in his 40s from the village, told Sky News, "People born and raised here see selling organs like kidneys as an unavoidable means of earning money." A 31-year-old man named Suman said, "I had my kidney removed a few years ago for 5 million won. I wanted to start a new life with that money, but due to surgical complications, I became unable to work," adding, "Now I tell people never to sell their organs." A woman said, "Brokers have been coming to our village for over 10 years trying to persuade us. We kept refusing, but as the children grew, we needed a bigger and sturdier house, so I decided to have my kidney removed." She sold her kidney for just 2 million won.

Recently, the number of young men suffering from renal failure in Nepal has been increasing. Many youths who went abroad to work in countries like Saudi Arabia or Qatar for economic reasons have developed kidney problems due to inadequate health management. This has led to a surge in illegal organ trafficking in places like Hose Village.

Dr. Phukar Shres, a Nepalese organ transplant specialist, told Sky News, "One in three transplant patients recently are migrant workers. Many young people working in hot regions like Saudi Arabia, unable to drink enough water and performing intense labor, return home with severely damaged kidneys that are difficult to treat."