Online kidney ad raises concerns in the UAE

An online advert claiming to sell kidneys has triggered worries among medical experts in the UAE over organ trade, daily newspaper Gulf News reported.

The advertisement stated: “Dear kidney patient, if ur looking urgent b+ kidney from donors pls contact [number],” the paper quoted.

The newspaper did not give the name of the advert in the report.

Kidney doctors, known as nephrologists, have warned of both the medical and legal consequences of the sale of internal organs.

“The problem with such ads is that these can open the gates for organ trade, especially because renal failure incidence is on the rise, fuelling demand for kidney transplantation,” Dr. Sameh El Sayed, Nephrologist at Al Zahara Hospital, Sharjah, was quoted as saying by Gulf News.

“Diabetes is the leading cause of renal failure and the UAE leads the prevalence of diabetes worldwide,” he added.

The trade of human internal organs is forbidden under UAE federal law.

A spokesman for the classified website confirmed the advert, adding it had since been removed and the user’s account deactivated.

“It is an unfortunate situation; these types of ads are clearly prohibited on the site,” the website’s spokesman said.