Will take action against guilty doctors: Punjab Medical Council takes suo motu cognisance of Dera Bassi Kidney Racket

Mohali: Taking suo motu cognisance of the recent Dera Bassi Kidney racket, the Punjab Medical Council (PMC) has said that it would take appropriate action against the guilty doctors.

This comes after recently a worker of Indus International Hospital, Derra Bassi was booked for forgery and organ trade. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that two people including the transplant coordinator of the private hospital had been booked by Dera Bassi police after almost 35 illegal kidney transplant incidents came to light which had been conducted over the last two years.

There were 11 such illegal transplant operations in 2021, 17 in 2022, and another seven up through March 7 of the current year. The matter came to light after one of the kidney donors alleged that the coordinator of the hospital promised him Rs 10 Lakh in exchange for his kidney. The hospital staff allegedly prepared fake documents and showed him as the son of the patient to enable him for the kidney donation.

Now Punjab Medical Council has taken sup motu notice of the incident and assured taking appropriate actions against doctors, if they are found to be guilty.

Also Read: Kidney transplant racket: Charge sheet filed against 11 persons, including 2 doctors

As per the latest media report by The Tribune, the president of PMC, Dr. CS Pruthi has mentioned that the Council was aware of the base registered against the worker of the Indus International Hospital and also about the fact that a special investigation team (SIT) was conducting an investigation regarding the matter.

Assuring that appropriate action will be taken, Dr. Pruthi told Tribune, “The council will definitely initiate appropriate action against the operating doctor or any other doctor if they are found guilty.”

Issuing a press release in this regard on Friday, he stated, “The council represents the registered allopathic doctors of Punjab. It will take appropriate action if they do not follow ethical and patient-oriented practices and the guidelines laid down out by the transplant licensing authority.”

Commenting on the matter, a senior retired doctor from the Health Department added, “There is no government hospital in Mohali district which carries out kidney transplantation as the district hospitals do not have elaborate tertiary care facility. As a result, patients have to go to private hospitals.”

Police have already arrested the coordinator of the hospital along with another staff member based on the complaint of the donor. The managing director of the hospital claimed that although some hospital staff's role in the whole illegal transplantation had come to light, the facility or the authorities had no knowledge of any such illegal activity. He further stated that they are cooperating with the police in the investigation process.

Accordingly, a case under Sections 419 (cheating by personation), 465 (forgery), 467(forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged 1[document or electronic record]) and 120 (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 19 and 20 of the Transplantation of Human Organ Act (THOA), was registered on March 18