Kidney malpractice case: Pune’s Sassoon hospital without authorisation panel
PUNE Two months after regional authorisation committee for live organ transplants was dissolved due to a the kidney transplant row, Sassoon General Hospital continues to wait for the new committee
PUNE Two months after regional authorisation committee for live organ transplants was dissolved due to a the kidney transplant row, Sassoon General Hospital continues to wait for the new committee.
The Sassoon General Hospital has not received any request for live kidney transplant in the absence of a regional authorisation committee for organ transplant. Since the Directorate of Medical Education and Research’s (DMER’s) dismissal of the former regional authorisation committee for organ transplant at the hospital ahead of the kidney racket at Ruby Hall clinic, there has been no direct order issued by the DMER for formation of a new committee. However, officials are expecting the process of constitution of the new committee to take place soon. Several doctors are now demanding that a police official and legal advisor be present on the new committee.
Dr Vinayak Kale, dean, BJ General Medical College and Sassoon hospital, said that there is no order issued as of now for formation of the new committee. “However, it is likely to happen soon. We have not received any applications so far for live transplants. Patients must be going to the state authorisation committee. The committee at Sassoon hospital is expected to be formed soon,” said Dr Kale. Many doctors are demanding that the new committee include a police official and a legal advisor, he said.
“The process of vetting of documentation of the donor and recipient requires the committee to send the documents to the police station. Many doctors are now demanding that instead of that, a police official and a legal advisor be on the committee itself. This may further ensure that there are no loopholes in the process of vetting,” said Dr Kale.
Dilip Mhaisekar, DMER head said that notification to form the regional authorisation committee will be issued in a day or two. “After the inquiry against the last committee, it was found that many rules and regulations were not followed. And so, this time we are issuing a detailed notification underlining the rules and regulations and how the verification of documents should be carried out. The strict implementation of the same will be followed. The committee will be formed according to the act,” said Mhaisekar.
In the absence of a regional authorisation committee, patients have to directly approach the state-level committee for live kidney transplants.