New Delhi: Apollo Hospitals has refuted a media report that implicates its flagship hospital, the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, in an international “cash for kidneys” scam in which impoverished individuals from Myanmar (formerly Burma) are flown to Delhi to have their kidneys removed for 80–90 lakh (£2,700–£3,100) each. The sick, wealthy patients from all over the world, including the United Kingdom, purchase the illicitly obtained organs.
The recent international media (report) made accusations against IMCL that are wholly untrue, ignorant, and deceptive. “The hospital, which is a part of the multibillion dollar Apollo Hospitals group, said in a report by news agency PTI that all the facts were shared in detail with the concerned journalist.”
The IMCL (possibly the hospital in question) spokesperson’s statement gives specifics about the procedure they say they use for organ transplants. The spokesperson stated that each donor must present official government documentation attesting to the recipient’s familial relationship.
Every case is allegedly reviewed by a committee at the hospital appointed by the government. Interviews are held by this committee with the donor and the recipient.After that, the embassy in question revalidates the submitted documents.
Medical testing is performed on both the donor and the recipient to determine whether or not there is a genetic relationship.
According to the available data, the hospital has put in place a thorough procedure that includes medical testing, committee review, documentation, and validation by the embassy to guarantee the validity of family relationships in organ transplants.
It’s important to remember that these steps are compliant with the legal and ethical norms that are frequently linked to organ transplant procedures in order to stop illicit organ trafficking and guarantee the security and welfare of both donors and recipients. However, the thoroughness and openness of the implementation process may determine how successful these measures are.
The representative said, “IMCL is “committed” to the ethical standards. These steps far exceed any compliance requirements for a transplant procedure and ensure the donor and recipient are related.
Regarding The Telegraph’s report, the Union Health Ministry has not yet responded.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Apollo Hospitals said that the report had “completely shocked” them. It emphasized that “any suggestion of willful complicity, or implicit sanctioning, of any illegal activities relating to organ transplants is wholly denied” and announced that it would begin an internal investigation.
An ‘agent’ connected to the purported illicit organ trade is quoted in the report, which was released on Saturday at 9 a.m. This person makes the suggestion that the hospital’s recommended course of action may not be adhered to as closely or consistently as stated. The ‘agent’ claims that the hospital asks formal questions and gets misleading responses in return.
As per the ‘agent,’ the illicit trade of organs is referred to as “big business,” with participants working together to overcome barriers that stand between the two governments. This cooperation is said to take place because it is against the law in both India and Myanmar to purchase or accept organs from a stranger without authorization. The term ‘agent’ suggests that those engaged in the trade find methods to get over these legal limitations.
As per the report published in The Telegraph, a large-scale fraud is allegedly involved in the alleged organ trafficking scheme. This fraud includes the fabrication of fictitious ‘family’ photos to imply a connection between the recipients and the donors. The money given to donors is referred to as a “thank you” payment rather than as a direct kidney purchase, and the forgery also includes official government documentation.
According to the article, Apollo Hospitals has previously been the target of similar accusations. Two senior physicians from Indraprastha Hospital were questioned by Delhi Police in 2016 regarding a kidney trading scam. The investigation began after T Rajkumar Rao, the alleged scam mastermind, was apprehended and a staff member of a senior nephrologist was arrested.
Apollo Hospitals claimed at the time that it was the “victim of a well-orchestrated operation carried out by few individuals who deliberately committed forgery and fraud and with malafide intent.” “The hospital has the highest regard for the law… and urges police to take their investigation to its logical conclusion.”
