Kidney racket: HC seeks report from state health officials
Madras high court
on Tuesday directed the principal secretary of the health and family welfare department and the director of medical and rural health services to file a report on the action taken in connection with the
kidney trafficking
racket in the state.
The court also sought a report from the authorities on the mechanism required to prevent organ theft and organ trading in the state.
A division bench of justice S M Subramaniam and justice G Arul Murugan sought the report while hearing a public interest litigation filed by S N Sathishwaran of Ramanathapuram district.
The petitioner sought to transfer the investigation to CBI for conducting a fair, impartial, and independent investigation and to take appropriate action against all people involved, irrespective of their political affiliation.
The petitioner stated that kidney ailments were on the rise in the last few decades. Due to the advancement in medical technology, kidney transplants substantially increased over the years, particularly in several hospitals across the state. However, a few people were involved in illegalities, including kidney theft and medical irregularities in the transplant of kidneys..
He stated that it came to light that
Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College
and Hospital in Perambalur and
Cethar Hospital
in Trichy were found to have indulged in serious
medical malpractice
and kidney thefts. The petitioner alleged that both hospitals involved in the racket were connected to political personalities from DMK.
The petitioner stated that the racket came to light when videos and testimonies surfaced online featuring workers from Pallipalayam and nearby areas in Namakkal, particularly from power loom and dyeing mill communities, claiming they were lured into selling kidneys for Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
Several victims claimed they received much less than promised, even though the recipient paid Rs 10 lakh to the broker. People belonging to the economically weaker sections were abused, and their kidneys were removed.
The petitioner also sought an interim direction to the state to constitute an independent, impartial, and competent committee headed by an IAS officer and medical professionals to probe the alleged illegal organ trade and related irregularities, including identification of victims, perpetrators, and institutions involved, and submit a detailed report to the court.
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