If you ever happen to pass through the gynecology ward of Civil Hospital Karachi, you are likely to see stray dogs and cats feeding on blood-stained tissue discarded nearby. These blood-soaked tissues are usually the placenta, which is separated from the mother’s body after childbirth. In Pakistan, the placenta is generally treated as medical waste and discarded accordingly. In many places, however, it is disposed of in an unsafe manner, ending up in garbage dumps where stray animals feed on it.
But is the human placenta really just medical waste?
That question has assumed new significance following the arrest of three Chinese nationals and two Pakistanis in Islamabad over allegations of collecting and processing “human organs”.
Footages and videos circulating on social media showed deep freezers containing plastic bags filled with blood-stained tissue, prompting widespread speculation that the recovered material was being collected as food.
Medical experts, however, say there is no evidence to support such claims. While the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has yet to officially identify the recovered material, some experts believe the tissue shown in the videos appears to be the human placenta, a biological tissue that is routinely discarded as medical waste in Pakistan but is increasingly recognised worldwide as a valuable source of stem cells for regenerative medicine.
Medical experts say that if the recovered material was indeed placenta, it would not ordinarily be regarded as a “human organ” after childbirth but rather as a biological tissue. In Pakistan, however, it is still largely treated as medical waste.
In most hospitals, placentas are discarded after delivery, often without proper disposal, which is why stray dogs and cats are frequently seen feeding on them.
So why would anyone want to collect and process the human placenta?
Renowned medical expert and former Chief Executive Officer of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA), Dr Quaid Saeed, says the human placenta is an extremely valuable biological tissue and that developed countries recognised its importance years ago because it contains large numbers of different types of stem cells, making it one of the most promising biological resources currently being studied in regenerative medicine.
According to Dr Quaid Saeed, the placenta contains several types of stem cells that can differentiate into bone, cartilage, muscle, connective tissue and other specialised tissues. Meanwhile, the blood remaining in the umbilical cord contains hematopoietic stem cells capable of producing red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
He said stem cells can be isolated from the placenta relatively easily because they are present in large numbers and can be expanded rapidly under laboratory conditions.
Several other experts say that in many countries, placentas and umbilical cords are collected with the informed consent of mothers after childbirth and processed under highly controlled laboratory conditions to isolate stem cells. These cells are cryopreserved, usually in liquid nitrogen at around minus 196 degrees Celsius, for future research and, where clinically appropriate, therapeutic use.
Researchers around the world are investigating placental stem cells for their potential role in treating osteoarthritis, bone and joint disorders, severe burns, chronic wounds, spinal cord injuries, stroke, heart damage, liver disease, kidney disease and several other conditions. While stem cell transplantation using umbilical cord blood is already an established treatment for a number of blood disorders, many regenerative applications of placental stem cells are still undergoing clinical evaluation.
Islamabad-based orthopedic surgeon Dr Abdul Basit says he is currently using stem cell therapy in selected orthopedic patients with stem cells obtained from bone marrow.
However, he believes the placenta and umbilical cord blood are among the richest and most promising sources of stem cells, although this field has yet to develop in Pakistan.
Dr Quaid Saeed says he has been trying for several years to establish Pakistan’s first Cord Blood Bank in Islamabad with the assistance of experts in regenerative medicine, but unnecessary regulatory hurdles have prevented the project from moving forward.
According to him, a cord blood bank stores blood collected from the umbilical cord after childbirth so that stem cells can be preserved for future therapeutic use. He said approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) is required for such a facility, but the proposal has remained trapped in bureaucratic red tape.
Establishing modern cord blood banks, he believes, would not only improve future healthcare in Pakistan but could also help the country develop a high-value biotechnology sector capable of generating millions of dollars in foreign exchange.
Medical experts believe that if the material recovered by the FIA was indeed placenta or related biological tissue, the incident should not merely be viewed through the prism of sensational headlines or criminal allegations. Instead, they argue, it should encourage scientific debate and policy discussions on whether Pakistan should continue treating the human placenta simply as medical waste or begin developing the regulatory and scientific framework needed to utilise it ethically and legally for stem cell research, regenerative medicine and cord blood banking.
They maintain that the issue also highlights Pakistan’s lack of policies governing the scientific collection, processing and preservation of placental tissue and umbilical cord blood, despite growing international interest in these biological materials for research and future therapeutic applications.
This article does not seek to explain or justify the alleged actions of the arrested individuals, nor does it speculate on the nature of the ongoing investigation. Rather, it aims to explain the scientific and medical significance of the human placenta, should the material recovered by investigators ultimately prove to be placental tissue.
The larger question, experts say, is whether Pakistan is discarding millions of placentas every year as medical waste while many countries increasingly regard them as a valuable biological resource for research and future therapies. They believe the time has come for policymakers, regulators and healthcare professionals to seriously examine this issue, formulate an appropriate regulatory framework and explore how this biological material could be used ethically, legally and scientifically to advance medical research and improve patient care in Pakistan.