Kidney transplant tourism to hit Singapore?

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Last year, Singapore’s government, faced with an aging population and a shortage of human kidneys available for transplant, reconsidered its prohibition on the buying and selling of human kidneys. Only the second country to legalize such markets, Singapore is also attempting to stem the tide of illegal, back-alley organ sales that have become increasingly common in parts of Asia.

Under Singapore’s new scheme, those willing to donate kidneys will be paid anywhere from US$6,500 to $33,000 in order to compensate for medical expenses and time away from work. In Iran, the only other country where kidney sales are legal, donors are paid several thousand dollars by the recipient for their donation, or, if the recipient is poor, the payment comes from a charitable organization. The implementation of this program has eliminated the wait time for those in need of a kidney transplant in Iran.

While there’s not much danger of potential kidney recipients heading en masse to Iran for a transplant, it seems entirely plausible that people might travel to Singapore for such an operation. In the US, for example, it can take potential donees from five to ten years to obtain a healthy kidney, depending on where they live.

Until the buying and selling of kidneys is legalized in other parts of the world, Singapore may find that thousands of desperate kidney-seekers are willing to travel abroad for a new chance at life.

More here. Gadling talks Singapore with Bryan Caplan here. Why kidney markets are a good idea here.

Dirtiest Hotels in the United States

by Mike Barish on

Hotels are filthy places. As fellow Gadling blogger Scott recently told us, hotel rooms aren’t always cleaned as well as we would like. Imagine how many people have touched that television remote before you arrived. Or, for your sanity’s sake, don’t. And for the love of all that you consider holy, do not run a blacklight over your sheets and bedspread. But some hotels are filthier than others. And the folks at TripAdvisor have used reader reviews to compile their annual list of Dirtiest Hotels in the United States.

New York City (where I live) is home to two of the “top” three dirtiest hotels. Coming in at number one is the Hotel Carter and at number three is the New York Inn. The reader reviews for the Hotel Carter don’t pull any punches.

Roaches, rats, mice, horrible smells, dirty sheets, horrifying bathrooms, outlets that hang out of walls…

This hotel was the filthiest,most unsanitary place I have seen ever. From the smell when you walk into the room to the plastic wrapped around the mattresses.

There are bed bugs in this hotel and you don´t easily see these bugs, but after one night you see the bites and they itch terribly for many days!

Welcome To Hell.

It could be worse than bed bugs, though. You could find a corpse under your bed, which a housekeeper at the Hotel Carter did in 2007. The upside to this story? It proves that they have housekeepers!

Strange Hotels from Around the World


Sun, sea, surf — and a boob job?

by Scott Carmichael on

Some people travel to see the sights and sounds of a foreign country, others travel to enjoy the beach.

Then there are those that pack their bags and head abroad to get some work done on their nose, face or other body part.

Medical tourism is big business – so big in fact that Asia expects a whopping 1.3 million people heading their way for medial procedures in 2009. The 2 most popular clinics in Thailand receive 650,000 foreigners a year.

The foremost reason for heading abroad to get some work done is of course the cost – many Europeans go to Turkey for LASIK, and do so for just $2200, which includes airfare. Compared to the $6000 a local procedure will cost, shows how big the savings can be.

The newest development in overseas surgery is in package deals – you get some work done on yourself, then you spend some well deserved time on the beach recovering, which is a hell of a lot more comfortable than in your own bed in bad weather back home.

There are of course some risks involved, and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has compiled a handy checklist which may help make the right choice, and select a safe location for your procedure. The society has members in over 80 countries, and many of them are located in clinics mainly used by medical tourists so it is not too hard to find a reliable clinic.

Gadling Take FIVE: Week of Jan. 17 – Jan. 23

by Jamie Rhein on

When looking for posts this week that fit into a theme, I couldn’t quite see it. In that case, here is an assortment of posts that range from the useful tips to the thought provoking.

And, in light of the new U.S. president, here’s Jeffery’s President Barack Obama: How will he stack up as traveler-in-chief?

A way easier soap for traveling

by Annie Scott on

When I first saw the Anti-Bacterial Paper Soap (right) at Flight 001 in Brooklyn (58 Fifth Avenue, 718-789-1001), I thought it was gonna be a little slip of paper that somehow dissolved in my hand, like a cross between Purell and those paper mints people eat. I was wrong.

The paper soap does indeed require water. But I still like it. You take a slip of the paper between your hands, stick your hands in running water, and as you rub, it becomes soap-like and actually very pleasant smelling (the fragrance I have here is mint and eucalyptus) — and it’s just the right amount. It works better in warm water. ‘Cause, you know, science.

Do you need it if you’re going to a fancy hotel with tons of soap in the shape of like, seashells and stuff? No. But think about taking it with you to the amusement park or to the restaurant where you know they’ll be out of soap. Also, if you’re backpacking, staying in hostels, or going anywhere without the usual modern conveniences, packing these is a lot easier than dealing with a wet bar of soap. A lot.

$6.00 for 30 sheets. Not bad! Thanks to Quynhster, who helped me at Flight 001.

For more small paper toiletries (it’s a whole market, people), click here and read Scott’s reviews!