Despite two summons, the officer fails to remain present before the inquiry panel
With five doctors, including the CEO and the medical director of Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital being put behind bars for their alleged role in kidney racket that was busted by the Powai police on July 14, the Director of Health Services (DHS) appointed an inquiry committee is yet to interrogate their member, who was part of the hospital panel that interviews the donor and recipient, and scrutinies documents before giving a go ahead to live related kidney transplant.
Earlier, the committee had sent two summons but the officer failed to remain present in front of the committee. Sources at DHS said that they are going to send another summon and planning to conduct an investigation next week.
To have transparency in the live related kidney transplants, the state health department had made it compulsory to have their officer in every transplant centre's ethics committee to rule out such malpractices.
Sources in the state health ministry, however, said that since the kidney racket was going on under the nose of this officer. Hence, his role is now under the scanner. A three-member committee set up by the department is probing if he was involved in passing the fake documents.
On condition of anonymity a senior official said: "The inquiry committee will take the statement of the officer of DHS who part of this hospital ethics committee in next week. Because of end of the time he also part of the committee and given the permission for the transplant."
In India, kidney transplant is performed under the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA), 1994, which was amended in 2014. According to the law, if donor and recipient are close relatives, they need to take permission from a hospital-level committee. If they are extended relatives, from outside the state or country, or if it is a case of swap transplant, such cases go to the State Authorisation Committee for permission.
This hospital committee comprises hospital CEO or medical director, a social worker or retired government officer, a member from the health department, along with a legal expert. Once the committee is convinced, then only a transplant can take place.
Meanwhile, other transplant centres in the city have instructed their ethics committee members to be very careful and thoroughly check facts before giving green light to any live related kidney transplants.
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