Cash For Kidney Racket: Government To Probe Allegations Against Apollo Hospitals
The Union Health Ministry has ordered an inquiry into allegations of a cash-for-kidney scam against Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi.
The National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organisation (NOTTO) under the Union Health Ministry has written to the Principal Secretary (Health) in the Delhi government to get the matter examined, take appropriate action according to provisions of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA) 1994 and furnish an action taken report within a week.
What is the allegation against Apollo Hospitals?
The development came after UK-based The Telegraph reported that the hospital and one of its key doctors, Dr Sandeep Guleria, was running a kidney racket in which impoverished people from Myanmar are being enticed to sell their organs for profit.
The newspaper said it first learned of the racket through a case at the Indraprastha Apollo, which is the Apollo Hospitals Group's flagship hospital in Delhi.
How Apollo Hospitals reacted?
Rejecting the allegations, the Indraprastha Medical Corporation Ltd (IMCL) on Monday asserted that it follows every legal and ethical requirement for transplants, including government guidelines.
The IMCL, a part of the Apollo Hospitals group, said each foreign donor is required to provide a certification from their respective foreign governments that the donor and recipient are indeed related before undertaking a transplant.
"To be clear, the IMCL complies with every legal and ethical requirement for the transplant procedures, including all guidelines laid down by the government as well as our own extensive internal processes that exceed compliance requirements," a company spokesperson said.
What is the process for foreign donors??
According to IMCL, every donor is required to provide Form 21, notarised by the appropriate ministry in their country.
"This form is a certification from the foreign government that the donor and recipient are indeed related," the spokesperson said and added that the government-appointed transplant authorisation committee at IMCL reviews documents for each case and interviews the donor and the recipient.
However, following the allegations, IMCL has initiated an internal inquiry.
"As part of corporate governance policy, IMCL has initiated an inquiry into the matter to delve into all aspects of the transplant process," IMCL said in a separate statement.
Why organs are sold
Organ transplants, which can be the difference between life and death for critically ill patients, are a complex medical and legal process.
In India, the sale of organs is a punishable offence, meaning that while a willing donor can donate, there should not be any monetary or other form of reward in exchange for it.
However, due to the shortage in supply and high demand, it is not uncommon for wealthy patients to purchase organs from those in desperate need of cash and pass it off as a donation by a relative.
In the past, too several hospitals and doctors have been caught for their involvement in illegal organ harvests and transplants.
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