Menace of kidney sale: DATELINE SARGODHA
SALE of kidney is common in village Sultanpur Mela and the adjoining villages of tehsil Bhalwal and despite reports to this effect published in Dawn no measures have been taken to check the menace which has assumed the shape of a business.
Several members of families in Sultanpur have sold their kidneys and in tehsil Bhalwal, the stronghold of kidney sellers, over two dozen women, including teenagers, have sold their kidneys. They are now acting as agents of kidney traders who are related to each other.
One Anwari told this correspondent that she had sold her kidney only to save the life of her husband, who had already sold his kidney to pay his debt to his landlord.
Another woman, Safia Bibi, said that she too had sold her kidney to pay her debt, although the landlord had earlier received Rs80,000 from her husband from the sale of his kidney. Her husband disappeared when the landlord claimed more money as interest. She said that she was the sole bread-winner of the family earning her livelihood by working in various houses but she said poor health did not allow her to work hard and her family was hand to mouth.
One Bivi Bibi of Sultanpur Morr said that she had sold her kidney in Rawalpindi only to clear the debt of her brother and liberate him from the clutches of the local landlord. She said that she was paid only Rs80,000 which she gave to the landlord but she still had to pay him Rs10,000. However, she said her family was happy over the release of her brother. She was of the view that unless the government provided jobs to the unemployed, the sale of kidney would not be curtailed.
Zulfikar of Bucha Kalan village said that he had sold his kidney to Atyia Bibi of Gujranwala. Her father, Javed, had promised that in case of any problem he would help him. When he tried to contact him neither the address was correct nor was the telephone number genuine. He said that the hospital management did not allow the donor to interact with the recipient only to keep the donor ignorant about the price of kidney. He said that his wife had sold her kidney for his treatment and to maintain the children.
Allah Ditta, 50, is jobless and unable to do any field work as his health is not good after the sale of kidney.
There are 12 drug addicts of Mohallah Poulian, Kotmomen, who are begging for drugs as they have spent their entire earnings from the sale of their kidneys. It is learnt that this locality, considered the Sohrab Goth of the area, is situated near the police station. But police have not bothered to eliminate the drug pushers. The governor has directed the district government here to submit a full report on the sale of kidneys. The DCO visited the village and recorded the statements of various persons who had sold their kidneys.
DCO Malik Hassan Iqbal told Dawn that his team recorded statements of various persons and said that people were selling their kidneys only to overcome poverty and to clear their debt.
Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, a local philanthropist, has provided food packets to kidney sellers and assured further help in their rehabilitation. He was of the opinion that they should be provided permanent jobs in some factory.
The District Zakat and Ushr Committee has recommended 62 cases for rehabilitation and sanctioned Rs 40,000 grant-in-aid per head which would be distributed among the kidney sellers shortly.
Mr Naeem Mirza, a member of Zakat Committee, Sargodha district, said that the affected should not be forced to set up business in their respective areas as it would not help them to earn much. He suggested that they should be required to purchase cattle and be strictly monitored so that the grant did not go waste.
He said that Rs 40,000 per head had been sanctioned and it would be distributed next month. He supported the idea of a training workshop in Janj Ghar (Marriage House) constructed by the government in Sultanpur, which, according to him, was under the use of influential people of the area.
He said that though some people sold their kidneys for a better future, the addicts sold theirs for drugs. But most had been forced to sell their kidneys to clear their debt. He said that most field workers in Sargodha district were living the life of slaves. He suggested that the villagers should not be given more than five to 10,000 rupees for running some shop.
He regretted that there were 1,064 Zakat committees in the district whereas the government was providing Jahez (dowry) Fund for only 120 committees annually. As such a majority of those recommended could not get funds for dowry. He said that the sale of kidney was rife among the poor who could not arrange dowry for their daughters. He suggested the setting up of factories with Zakat funds to save the people from beggary.
Mr Tassadaq Hussain Baloch, member, Punjab Bar Council, called for legislation for curtailing the sale of kidney and stressed the need for developing the sense of donation instead of monetary gain.