http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=29085
Namakkal - a non descript villed in rural Tamil Nadu is the hotbed of a thriving kidney racket. As TIMES NOW travelled to this village to investigate the scam, it revealed that the unemployed in the village have become eary targets for the touts.
The brokers tell us that they make anything from over 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh for one 'deal'.
"The brokers are handed over 1,20,000 to 1,30,000. Of which we take anywhere between 7000 to 10000 each. Then there are expenses to be paid to government officials for some certificates. Rest is given to dono," a kidney broker said.
More shockingly, the doner is totally in the dark about the money exchanging hands in the racket.
"They will never know. They will normally ask the donor if you took money. If they get a whiff of money, they will reject it. The donor will say there is no money involved and claim it's a willing donation."
"Its (the money) is split equally between us. If it's 10000 rs, we take 5,000 each," he explained.
Namakkal once had a thriving powerloom industry, but with the slowdown forcing many powerlooms to shut down, those left unemployed have become easy targets for the brokers. Mounting debts and fewer employment options have forced healthy men to resort to selling their kidneys.
Deperate to pay off the debts, Shekhar, a kidney doner said, he had no other way.
"I could not manage my debts and I had no other way...then the broker took me to Coimbator and they took care of everything. They even got my blood checks and tests done."
Mohanraj, another kidney doner said, the broker asks them to keep mum about the money involved. "The broker took me to Madras and told me to say that I was donating to someone and not selling; and that I will get money for it.
Kidney scams like this have been reported earlier too, especially, after disasters that have wiped away jobs and savings of people, forcing them into the hands of mafias running illegal kidney rackets.
Many major hospitals are also alleged to be in the know of spurious kidney rackets like these. With the demand for kidneys steadily rising, uneducated and impoverished men have become gullible victims.
By Dhanya Rajendran and Dakshina Muralitharan
State's first liver transplant in govt hospital
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
From Times of India
CHENNAI: It was a red letter day for doctors at the department of surgical gastroenterology of Government Stanley Medical College Hospital. In a marathon 13-hour-surgery, the doctors did their first liver transplant in the government sector in the state on a 40-year-old woman suffering from end-stage liver disease. The transplant was facilitated by the consent of parents of 19-year-old Karthik, who was pronounced brain dead at Kumaran Hospital on Poonamallee High Road, following a road accident.
After Karthik was pronounced brain dead by a neurologist at 3 pm on Wednesday, his parents agreed to sign the papers for his organ donation. The central organ registry at the Government General Hospital was contacted. The registry networked with several hospitals. While the heart went to Frontier Lifeline, the kidneys were shared by a government hospital and Kumaran Hospital. The liver was taken to Stanley and the eyes went to Shankara Nethralaya.
The central organ registry has so far coordinated nearly a dozen transplants since August 2008. "We see a marked improvement in awareness. Parents of the brain dead are now willing to sign the form. In most cases, we don't even have to explain things in detail. They have been reading about cadaver transplants in the media for sometime now," said a senior doctor at GH.
The doctors at Stanley were visibly happy. "We are elated. The surgery was long. But it was our first. It was successful. The patient is now on immunosuppressants and is doing well," said Dr R Surendran, head of surgical gastroenterology, who led the transplant. "In a few days, there will be an exclusive ward to keep patients pronounced brain dead. As a government hospital,we get a lot of accident victims, who are pronounced brain dead. So in the next three months, the number of transplants is likely to triple," he said.
The donation, according to the registry, has given a new lease of life to at least seven patients. "Till now, a majority of the transplants have been successful and all patients are doing well," said a doctor attached to the registry.
CHENNAI: It was a red letter day for doctors at the department of surgical gastroenterology of Government Stanley Medical College Hospital. In a marathon 13-hour-surgery, the doctors did their first liver transplant in the government sector in the state on a 40-year-old woman suffering from end-stage liver disease. The transplant was facilitated by the consent of parents of 19-year-old Karthik, who was pronounced brain dead at Kumaran Hospital on Poonamallee High Road, following a road accident.
After Karthik was pronounced brain dead by a neurologist at 3 pm on Wednesday, his parents agreed to sign the papers for his organ donation. The central organ registry at the Government General Hospital was contacted. The registry networked with several hospitals. While the heart went to Frontier Lifeline, the kidneys were shared by a government hospital and Kumaran Hospital. The liver was taken to Stanley and the eyes went to Shankara Nethralaya.
The central organ registry has so far coordinated nearly a dozen transplants since August 2008. "We see a marked improvement in awareness. Parents of the brain dead are now willing to sign the form. In most cases, we don't even have to explain things in detail. They have been reading about cadaver transplants in the media for sometime now," said a senior doctor at GH.
The doctors at Stanley were visibly happy. "We are elated. The surgery was long. But it was our first. It was successful. The patient is now on immunosuppressants and is doing well," said Dr R Surendran, head of surgical gastroenterology, who led the transplant. "In a few days, there will be an exclusive ward to keep patients pronounced brain dead. As a government hospital,we get a lot of accident victims, who are pronounced brain dead. So in the next three months, the number of transplants is likely to triple," he said.
The donation, according to the registry, has given a new lease of life to at least seven patients. "Till now, a majority of the transplants have been successful and all patients are doing well," said a doctor attached to the registry.
Pat for Stanley doctors
http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/01/stories/2009020158060300.htm
— Photo: M.Vedhan
Well done: Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam interacting with the team of doctors that performed a liver transplant at Government Stanley Hospital, on Saturday. Principal Secretary Health V.K.Subburaj (right), is in the picture.
Pat for Stanley doctors
Staff Reporter| “Government considering incentives for challenging tasks” |
Well done: Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam interacting with the team of doctors that performed a liver transplant at Government Stanley Hospital, on Saturday. Principal Secretary Health V.K.Subburaj (right), is in the picture.
CHENNAI: The government will consider providing incentives for government doctors working on challenging initiatives such as liver transplant operations which involve long hours of duty, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said here on Saturday.
Speaking at a meeting held to congratulate the team of doctors of Government Stanley Hospital that did a liver transplant procedure recently, he said, “The government will provide support to the hospital to perform such successful procedure in future.”
More employees to be recruitedIt would also recruit employees for meeting the requirement , he said.
The government had spent Rs.5 lakh on the liver transplant.
Without administrative help of the government, it would not have been possible, said R. Surendran, head, Surgical Gastroenterology, Government Stanley Hospital. The completion of 5-bed cadaver maintenance facility and advanced liver transplant laboratory would help the hospital perform the procedure on more patients waiting for liver transplant, he added.
Such initiatives would help in the development of medical tourism, the Minister said.
Dr. Surendran said that government hospitals could play a key role in the development of medical tourism. The revenue generated by them by treating foreign medical tourists could be used to treat more number of economically weaker patients.
More than 150 patients were waiting for a liver transplant now and 500 patients are getting treatment for severe liver diseases, said Dr. Surendran.
Stanley records a first in liver transplant
Friday, January 30, 2009
www.thehindu.com/2009/01/30/stories/2009013060840100.htm
— Photo: V. Ganesan
PROUD MOMENT: Dr. Surendran and his team of surgeons who successfully performed the liver transplantation at the Government Stanley Hospital in Chennai on Thursday.
Stanley records a first in liver transplant
Ramya KannanPROUD MOMENT: Dr. Surendran and his team of surgeons who successfully performed the liver transplantation at the Government Stanley Hospital in Chennai on Thursday.
CHENNAI: South India’s first successful liver transplant in the public sector was performed at the Government Stanley Hospital’s Centre for Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation, here, on Thursday. The recipient, a 40-year-old woman with cirrhosis of the liver, was operated upon early Thursday morning and was said to be doing well after surgery.
Led by S. Surendran, head, Surgical Gastroenterology, a large team comprising nearly 40 people, helped perform the nearly 12-hour-long surgery.
The donated liver came from 19-year-old Karthik, who was declared brain dead after a road accident. Kumaran Hospital, where he was admitted, informed the Tamil Nadu Organ Registry and the transplant coordinator about the availability of organs, including the liver. The availability of a matching recipient at Stanley Hospital and the fact that the team was finally ready to perform its first transplantation seem fortuitous.
“For us, it is a dream come true,” says Dr. Surendran. He explains that a decade ago, an attempt was made at liver transplantation, but it was premature and unsuccessful.
Health Secretary V.K. Subburaj, lauding the team, said, “It is a historic day for us. We have been waiting for this day for a long while.”
Stanley Dean J. Mohanasundaram said this achievement would encourage more people to enrol with the organ liver registry at the hospital.
Yet another liver surgery was done in Tamil Nadu on Thursday at the Christian Medical College, Vellore. The Tamil Nadu registry coordinated with its Karnataka counterpart to procure the organ from Manipal Hospital, Bangalore.
‘Dr Horror earned 200% profit per transplant’
Sunday, February 10, 2008
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14602228
Before he was caught, handcuffed and thrown into a police cell, Indian kidney racket kingpin Amit Kumar Raut lived life king size thanks to the nearly 200 per cent profit he gained per illegal transplant, according to his reported admission to Nepal Police.
He also denied having any links with the underworld or doing anything illegal.
"I am a doctor by profession," the unshaken 43-year-old, who holds just a diploma in ayurveda and is not a qualified doctor, told the police after being arrested from a holiday resort in south Nepal on Thursday.
"I did people a service (through the transplants). I ran the Star Max Life Care Hospital in Gurgaon in India's Haryana State," Amit Kumar told police in his statement, a news report said on Saturday.
"Transplanting kidneys is my main business. I have been doing this for 15 years."
According to the Nepali tabloid Naya Patrika, Amit Kumar told the Metropolitan Police's crime division, who began interrogating him afresh on Friday, that patients from the US, Canada and European countries used to come to his clinic for transplants.
"I have conducted about 3,000 transplants for patients from these countries," Amit Kumar reportedly told the police.
He said there were legal complications about kidney transplants. Several States had tight laws preventing such acts.
"In Haryana, the laws are slightly more lenient, which is why I opened my hospital there," he reportedly said.
Amit Kumar is said to have told police that he used to charge per kidney recipient Rs 3,00,000-4,00,000 for a transplant.
"The poor and unemployed in India are interested in donating their kidneys," the tabloid quoted him as saying to the police. "I used to pay the donors Rs 25,000 to Rs 100,000."
However, Amit Kumar insisted that he had not done anything wrong.
"I did not force anyone to donate their kidneys," he said. "I did not dupe anyone. The kidneys were extracted with the consent of the donors. Therefore, it was not a crime."
"The sellers were poor Indians and buyers rich foreigners. I acted as the go-between and did people a service. I took money only after offering my services, it can't be construed as robbery."
Amit Kumar rejected the allegations that he had links with the underworld.
"I did not take the help of the underworld for my transplant operations," the father of two said.
"At times I have also worked without profit to transplant poor and unemployed donors' kidneys."
Kumar blamed the Indian media for his plight.
"After the media targeted me, the Moradabad authorities filed a case against me in Uttar Pardesh state," he alleged.
Asked why he was on the run if he had not done anything wrong, Amit Kumar said he was not running away but trying to defend himself.
Before he was caught, handcuffed and thrown into a police cell, Indian kidney racket kingpin Amit Kumar Raut lived life king size thanks to the nearly 200 per cent profit he gained per illegal transplant, according to his reported admission to Nepal Police.
He also denied having any links with the underworld or doing anything illegal.
"I am a doctor by profession," the unshaken 43-year-old, who holds just a diploma in ayurveda and is not a qualified doctor, told the police after being arrested from a holiday resort in south Nepal on Thursday.
"I did people a service (through the transplants). I ran the Star Max Life Care Hospital in Gurgaon in India's Haryana State," Amit Kumar told police in his statement, a news report said on Saturday.
"Transplanting kidneys is my main business. I have been doing this for 15 years."
According to the Nepali tabloid Naya Patrika, Amit Kumar told the Metropolitan Police's crime division, who began interrogating him afresh on Friday, that patients from the US, Canada and European countries used to come to his clinic for transplants.
"I have conducted about 3,000 transplants for patients from these countries," Amit Kumar reportedly told the police.
He said there were legal complications about kidney transplants. Several States had tight laws preventing such acts.
"In Haryana, the laws are slightly more lenient, which is why I opened my hospital there," he reportedly said.
Amit Kumar is said to have told police that he used to charge per kidney recipient Rs 3,00,000-4,00,000 for a transplant.
"The poor and unemployed in India are interested in donating their kidneys," the tabloid quoted him as saying to the police. "I used to pay the donors Rs 25,000 to Rs 100,000."
However, Amit Kumar insisted that he had not done anything wrong.
"I did not force anyone to donate their kidneys," he said. "I did not dupe anyone. The kidneys were extracted with the consent of the donors. Therefore, it was not a crime."
"The sellers were poor Indians and buyers rich foreigners. I acted as the go-between and did people a service. I took money only after offering my services, it can't be construed as robbery."
Amit Kumar rejected the allegations that he had links with the underworld.
"I did not take the help of the underworld for my transplant operations," the father of two said.
"At times I have also worked without profit to transplant poor and unemployed donors' kidneys."
Kumar blamed the Indian media for his plight.
"After the media targeted me, the Moradabad authorities filed a case against me in Uttar Pardesh state," he alleged.
Asked why he was on the run if he had not done anything wrong, Amit Kumar said he was not running away but trying to defend himself.
RESULT OF THE AUTHORISATION COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 14.9.2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
RESULT OF THE AUTHORISATION COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 14.9.2007
S.N
Name of the Hospital
Name of the Patient
Name of the Donor
Approved Or Not Approved
Reason for Not Approved
1
Coimbatore Kidney Center Coimbatore
Mr.R.Thirumani
Mrs.Kousal Rani
Approved
----------
2
Kovai Medical Center Coimbatore
Mr .Kamakhya Patowari
Mr. Swapan Roy
Approved
----------
3
Kovai Medical Center Coimbatore
Mr.K.K.Sathyavan
Mr.T.V.Sudheer
Approved
----------
4
MIOT Hospital Chennai
Mr.Iyamuremye Octavien
Mr.Hashakimana Jacaues
Approved
----------
5
Chennai Kaliappa Hospital,Chennai
Mrs.Vijayalakshmi
Mrs.Suguna
Not Approved
The identity with reference to residential address and photograph are not clearly established.
Donor and her spouse are ignorant about the nature of organ donation.
6
Coimbatore Kidney Center Coimbatore
Ms.Virundha Nair
Mrs.M.Poongodi
Not Approved
The genuiness of the person who has attested the photograph is not proved.
The donor and her spouse are contradicting their statement .
The consequences and the nature of organ donation are not fully known.
7
Chennai Kaliappa Hospital,Chennai
Mrs.Pratima Shou
Mr.Biswambhar Chakraborty
Approved
----------
8
Chennai Kaliappa Hospital,Chennai
Mr.Consain
Mrs.Mary
Not Approved
No Objection Certificate from the Srilankan Embassy is not in proper format.
Chairman
Authorisation Committee
Chennai
To
Coimbatore Kidney Center
738-B Puliakulam Centre
Coimbatore-641 045
Kovai Medical Center And Hospital
Post Box.No.3209
Avanashi Road
Coimbatore 641 014
Chennai Kaliappa Hospital
52,Second Main Road,
Raja Annamalai Puram
Chennai 600 028
MIOT Hospitals
4/112 Mount Poonamalee Road
Manapakkam
Chennai.600 080
S.N
Name of the Hospital
Name of the Patient
Name of the Donor
Approved Or Not Approved
Reason for Not Approved
1
Coimbatore Kidney Center Coimbatore
Mr.R.Thirumani
Mrs.Kousal Rani
Approved
----------
2
Kovai Medical Center Coimbatore
Mr .Kamakhya Patowari
Mr. Swapan Roy
Approved
----------
3
Kovai Medical Center Coimbatore
Mr.K.K.Sathyavan
Mr.T.V.Sudheer
Approved
----------
4
MIOT Hospital Chennai
Mr.Iyamuremye Octavien
Mr.Hashakimana Jacaues
Approved
----------
5
Chennai Kaliappa Hospital,Chennai
Mrs.Vijayalakshmi
Mrs.Suguna
Not Approved
The identity with reference to residential address and photograph are not clearly established.
Donor and her spouse are ignorant about the nature of organ donation.
6
Coimbatore Kidney Center Coimbatore
Ms.Virundha Nair
Mrs.M.Poongodi
Not Approved
The genuiness of the person who has attested the photograph is not proved.
The donor and her spouse are contradicting their statement .
The consequences and the nature of organ donation are not fully known.
7
Chennai Kaliappa Hospital,Chennai
Mrs.Pratima Shou
Mr.Biswambhar Chakraborty
Approved
----------
8
Chennai Kaliappa Hospital,Chennai
Mr.Consain
Mrs.Mary
Not Approved
No Objection Certificate from the Srilankan Embassy is not in proper format.
Chairman
Authorisation Committee
Chennai
To
Coimbatore Kidney Center
738-B Puliakulam Centre
Coimbatore-641 045
Kovai Medical Center And Hospital
Post Box.No.3209
Avanashi Road
Coimbatore 641 014
Chennai Kaliappa Hospital
52,Second Main Road,
Raja Annamalai Puram
Chennai 600 028
MIOT Hospitals
4/112 Mount Poonamalee Road
Manapakkam
Chennai.600 080
RESULT OF THE AUTHORISATION COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 7.9.2007
Friday, September 7, 2007
RESULT OF THE AUTHORISATION COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 7.9.2007
S.N
Name of the Hospital
Name of the Patient
Name of the Donor
Result
Remarks
1
Govt.Stanley Hospital,Chennai
Mr.Shabutheen
Mrs.Nazim Begum
Approved
----------------
2
SHIFA Hospital
Tirunelveli Junction
Mr.Stalin
Mrs.Saroja
Approved
----------------
3
Apollo Hospital
Chennai
Mr.Ram Chandra Chakraborty
Mr.Shankar Nasker
Approved
----------------
4
Apollo Hospital
Chennai
Ms.S.Ash Rena Mani
Mr.T.Dhanakotti Gopal Naidu
Approved
----------------
Chairman
Authorisation Committee
Chennai
To:
Apollo Hospital
21,Greams Lane ,Off Greams Road
Chennai.6
Dr.R.VijayakumarM.D.,D.M..,
Proffessor and Head
Department of Nephrology
Govt.Stanley Hospital,Chennai
Through The Dean
Govt.Stanley Hospital,Chennai
SHIFA Hospital
82 Kailasapuram Middle Street
Tirunelveli Junction
S.N
Name of the Hospital
Name of the Patient
Name of the Donor
Result
Remarks
1
Govt.Stanley Hospital,Chennai
Mr.Shabutheen
Mrs.Nazim Begum
Approved
----------------
2
SHIFA Hospital
Tirunelveli Junction
Mr.Stalin
Mrs.Saroja
Approved
----------------
3
Apollo Hospital
Chennai
Mr.Ram Chandra Chakraborty
Mr.Shankar Nasker
Approved
----------------
4
Apollo Hospital
Chennai
Ms.S.Ash Rena Mani
Mr.T.Dhanakotti Gopal Naidu
Approved
----------------
Chairman
Authorisation Committee
Chennai
To:
Apollo Hospital
21,Greams Lane ,Off Greams Road
Chennai.6
Dr.R.VijayakumarM.D.,D.M..,
Proffessor and Head
Department of Nephrology
Govt.Stanley Hospital,Chennai
Through The Dean
Govt.Stanley Hospital,Chennai
SHIFA Hospital
82 Kailasapuram Middle Street
Tirunelveli Junction
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