Organ trafficking probe: Kochi Hospital-Medical Tourism firm agreement surfaces
Kerala: The ongoing investigation into the alleged organ trafficking racket in Kerala has revealed an agreement between a private hospital in Kochi and a medical tourism company that allegedly received service fees for referring patients requiring organ transplants.
According to reports, the agreement, executed last year, reportedly appointed the medical tourism firm as a facilitator for transplant patients. In return, the company was to receive a service fee of up to Rs 1 lakh per patient or 10% of the total hospital bill, depending on the procedure.
As earlier reported by Medical Dialogues, the Enforcement Directorate had widened its money laundering probe by summoning senior administrative officials, including managing directors of several private hospitals in Kerala. The agency was investigating the role of hospital managements, transplant coordinators, and evaluation committees, while examining whether forged documents and procedural lapses facilitated illegal organ transplants.
The development comes as the Kerala Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) continue their parallel investigations into the alleged organ trafficking network. While the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing the trafficking allegations, the ED is examining the suspected money laundering angle linked to the case.
According to the police, the racket allegedly targeted financially vulnerable individuals and persuaded them to donate organs in exchange for money. Investigators claim donors were paid between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh, while recipients were charged as much as Rs 35 lakh. During the investigation, police also recovered forged documents, including fake altruism certificates, allegedly used to facilitate illegal transplants.
The owner of Kallatharas Medical Tourism, along with several others accused of recruiting organ donors, has already been arrested. The ED is also questioning doctors and management officials of the private hospital as part of its investigation.
According to Deccan Herald, the agreement stated that the medical tourism firm would act as a facilitator and receive up to Rs 1 lakh per patient or 10% of the total hospital bill, including Rs 1 lakh for every liver transplant and Rs 50,000 for each renal transplant patient referred to the hospital.
