Kidney trafficking: Tamil Nadu cancels transplant licences of two hospitals
The racket came to light when police and health officials received complaints about brokers allegedly coercing vulnerable individuals from Pallipalayam and nearby areas in Namakkal into selling kidneys. Subsequently, Health Minister Ma Subramanian ordered a detailed probe by a panel led by S Vineet, Project Director of TN Health System Reform Programme.
The panel's report, details of which were released on Sunday, revealed that activities by both the hospitals violated the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994, with evidence showing that forged documents were obtained and submitted by the private hospitals to improperly secure authorisation for transplants. Brokers acquired the organs for money, and transplants were conducted in breach of laws, the report said.
Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan MCH and Cethar Hospital were the two hospitals primarily accused of involvement in the racket and their transplant licences were earlier temporarily suspended. Now, based on the report, the government will proceed with permanent cancellation of the transplant licence through Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services. Also, FIRs have been filed against Anandan and Stanley Mohan, accused of brokering the deals, under BNS sections, based on their bank transactions and call records.
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Among the advances that modern medicine has brought, organ transplantation affirms the very spirit of humanity. For a country like India, creating a robust, ethical, and scalable organ transplant ecosystem was not just a necessity but a moral imperative. When India enacted the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act in 1994, it set a foundation that few developing nations had. It legally recognised brain death, banned commercial organ trade, necessitated hospital registration and oversight, and mandated transplant coordinators. Today, three decades later, we see the results of that vision. India has built one of the most comprehensive and integrated organ transplant frameworks in the Global South — a structured network from the apex National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) to its regional and state units that effectively links donors to recipients through ethical, transparent, and scalable means. India's policy framework today stands out as one of the most thoughtfully designed among developing nations and offers a ready blueprint for others to follow. What makes the system unique is how it has institutionalised trust and integrity. From hospital licensing to protocol-driven brain death certification, every layer of the system builds trust for families agreeing to donate the organs of a loved one — in the deepest moment of their personal loss — to give a gift of life to a stranger. The inclusion of brain death within the law provides the legal basis for deceased organ donation. Strict protocols for brain death declaration by a panel of four doctors, including a neurologist or neurosurgeon — hospitals need to be registered — with only trained transplant coordinators to counsel grieving families, facilitate the donation process. The living organ donation process undergoes a mandatory review by ethical committees known as Transplant Authorisation Committees. 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This hierarchical network supports equitable donor allocation, standardised operating procedures and donor registries at state and national levels, helping reduce waste and ensure fair matching for patients in need. Equally important has been the role of coordination and public-private partnership. India's policy empowers NGOs, civil society, and private hospitals to work with government authorities. Non-governmental organisations such as the MOHAN foundation have built and managed transplant coordinator training programmes in partnership with medical authorities. Well-trained coordinators considerably boost consent rates for deceased donation, and these professionals, working out of hospitals nationwide, help to identify potential donors, educate families, and manage logistics. Public-private partnerships also help in creating protocols for donor identification, consent, transportation and allocation. The results are evident. Annual organ donation has climbed from fewer than 5,000 in 2013 to over 15,000 by 2022. Perhaps the most striking example of India's policy gains is seen in Tamil Nadu. By making brain death certification mandatory in 2008 and establishing a state transplant authority, TRANSTAN, in 2015, and operating a state registry for fair allocation, Tamil Nadu raised its deceased donation rate to 1.8 per million, which is above the national average of 0.65 per million. Andhra Pradesh's Jeevandan programme has deployed mobile transplant coordinator teams between hospitals, introduced financial and funeral support to donor families, and elevated state‑honour recognition. This helped the state to cross 200 deceased organ donations in 2024. While India's journey has not been without its challenges, with consent rates varying across regions, the policy mechanisms in place to address them are what make India's system replicable. Our vision must go beyond geography. 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