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New Delhi: Allegations of a cash-for-kidney scheme at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi are currently under investigation by India’s National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO). The UK-based newspaper, accused the hospital of luring poor Myanmar individuals into selling their kidneys to wealthy Burmese patients. Apollo Hospitals, which is known to perform over 1,200 transplants annually and attract international patients, has scrapped the reports.
According to official sources, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has written a letter regarding a detailed investigation to the Director of National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) in connection with a media report inculpate private hospital in Delhi responsible for the illegal kidney racket.
The allegations highlighted after a foreign media published an article on December 3, which claimed that Apollo Hospitals was involved in a kidney bribery racket. In response, Indraprastha Medical Corporation Limited (IMCL), the company running the hospital, has completely scrapped these allegations and called them baseless. IMCL emphasizes adherence to every legal and ethical requirement related to transplant procedures. They also emphasized their rigorous internal processes, enforcing the requirement of notarized government certification confirming family ties between donors and recipients.
NOTTO, an autonomous body under the Union Health Ministry, has started investigating the allegations against Apollo Hospital. The inquiry comes as a serious development for the Delhi-based hospital, known for its multi-specialty tertiary acute care services and housing over 710 beds. The hospital’s reputation and credibility hang in the balance as NOTTO’s findings are eagerly awaited.
In the backdrop of these allegations, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recently amended the national transplant guidelines. The amendments are aimed at improving organ access and promoting cadaver donation.
Important changes include allowing individuals over the age of 65 to receive organs from deceased donors and removing domicile requirements for organ transplant registration. These changes are part of the ‘One Nation, One Policy’ initiative, which aims to streamline organ donation and transplantation across India.
