Maharashtra govt unveils draft Kidney transplant SOPs for hospitals

Mumbai: In the wake of notorious kidney racket cases in the state, the government has drafted standard operating protocols, which once passed will be made mandatory for all the hospitals and related authorities to abide by, while considering kidney transplantation.

These fresh SOP's await approval from the public health department after which they will be made functional over all the hospitals in the state. The SOP's are framed by a panel of 11 members including nephrologists, urologists, and representatives from the state's higher medical education, health, law and judicial departments.

The said panel was formed in August after concerns came from doctors of rising fears among the fraternity of getting criminally implicated for forgery and paper work mistakes while transplant approval. To adores the raised concerns the formation of standard operating protocols have been drafted, which will nearly absolve doctors of any responsibility of establishing identity of the donor and the kidney recipient.

The recent SOP's drafted by the state government have come as a ray of light in darkness ensuring:

• Police verification of the donor to ensure identities of both the giver and receiver parties. No leverage for even blood relations.


• Introduction of second health official in the hospital authorization committee (HAC) to approve  live related transplant cases.


• It is must to interview the parents, siblings or children of a woman donor prior to which only an affidavit from relatives was required.


• SOPs also mandate that proper verification of a women married for less than two years must be done to check whether it was a marriage of convenience. Under this point, the income proof of the donor must be checked particularly if she is a widow or a divorcee.


• It is also mandated to explain the pre and post-operative complications of a transplant to donor and recipient. The communication must be video recorded as well as in document format in the OPD file or indoor papers. A video room must be provided at every hospital for this purpose.


• The urologist, who carries out the transplant, and the nephrologist, who treats kidney failure, must meet before the surgery.


• All the hospitals are required to have a copy of the Transplant of the Human Organs Act (THOA).


• Hospitals' head should regularly hold training sessions for consultants

Off late several cases were reported where doctors and authorities came under legal scanner where transplantation went wrong in terms of legalities.

One Such case was at the Hiranandani hospital, where an illicit kidney transplant that was queued to be conducted on Brijkishore Jaiswal (54), a trader from Surat was noted but was stopped midway after it was revealed that the donor's "wife's" identity and documents including her Birth certificate and Adhar card were all forged.

Also Read: Kidney Racket Update: 1,000 page chargesheet filed against Hiranandani doctors

Following such cases the government has come up SOP's which will be highly be beneficial.

Confirming to the news Public health minister Dr Deepak Sawant  told TOI, "The doctors also wanted to erase the 'arrest' word but we cannot do that as it is a central act," he said. The move, however, may face hurdles due to an ongoing court case, where a doctor has appealed against police verifications being a part of kidney transplants. "The doctor has to withdraw the case first for the protocols to come into practice."

He added, "We have also agreed to the demand of doctors that the Director of DHS will personally hear cases of wrong-doing in transplant cases". But, he said, the hospitals should not mix the liver and kidney transplant protocols.