In the secluded Nepalese village of Hokse, residents have been deceived into selling their kidneys under the false belief that they would regrow. Known infamously as “Kidney Valley,” the village has seen nearly every family part with a kidney due to this deception.
According to Guardian, Illegal organ brokers prey on the villagers, convincing them to sell their kidneys. The aftermath leaves many feeling cheated and abused, especially when faced with the lie that their kidneys would grow back.
Tragically, some villagers have lost their lives due to the procedures. Two villagers in their forties, Kanchha and Ram, bear large scars as evidence of their desperation-driven decisions to sell their kidneys. Kanchha shared with SkyNews his ongoing pain and inability to work due to the surgery’s side effects.
“The number of those who’ve sold their kidneys is countless,” Kanchha remarked. “It’s widespread, affecting many villages.”
Hokse now faces a dire situation, with a significant number of young men returning from migrant work abroad, suffering from kidney failure and in dire need of transplants. Scientists suggest that the strenuous working conditions overseas, characterized by intense heat and severe dehydration, may be contributing to this health crisis.
Suman, a migrant worker, recounts his harrowing ordeal of selling his kidney in India, driven by acute financial distress and emotional turmoil. He contemplated suicide before deciding to sell his organ for £3,000, posing as a sibling to the recipient.
Post-surgery, Suman experienced severe weakness and loss of consciousness. The pain was intense upon awakening, and now, incapacitated, he warns others against selling their organs.
Kanchha, another villager, narrates how agents fabricated documents, including Indian IDs, to facilitate his kidney sale to a so-called sister, suspecting even the doctors were aware of the ruse.
Jit Bahadur Gurung, after laboring in Saudi Arabia, finds himself bound to thrice-weekly, four-hour dialysis sessions at Kathmandu’s National Kidney Centre.
Despite laws against it, organ trafficking remains rampant, with investigations uncovering the involvement of medical professionals in these underground markets. It’s believed that one in every ten organs transplanted worldwide is obtained through trafficking.
While some in Nepal claim the trade has stopped, desperation still drives individuals to gamble with their lives for financial relief.