Illegal Kidney Transplant: 4-Week HC Breather For Apollo Hospitals Facing Licence Cancellation

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Thursday directed Apollo Hospitals, Bhubaneswar, to file a counter with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in four weeks.

The court, while putting a stay on the NHRC’s order directing the Odisha government to cancel its registration for alleged illegal kidney transplant, told the hospital authorities that the Commission will take up the hearing in the case on the basis of their argument.

Till such period, the court directed the NHRC not to execute its order.

On September 8, the NHRC had directed the Odisha government to cancel the registration of the Apollo Hospitals, Bhubaneswar. The case pertains to kidney transplantation, involving Anil Kumar Swamy and his neighbour Raghaba Ram Dora, through deceitful names in connivance with Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) and the Apollo Hospitals.

It was in response to a petition filed by human rights activist Akhand in 2016, urging its intervention and action against the private hospital for allegedly removing the kidney of Swamy through deception.

The Commission had observed that there was a serious lapse on the part of the Authorization Committee constituted by the state government as it granted the NOC in a very routine manner without verifying or conducting proper enquiry in this matter. While the NOC was granted for transplantation of kidney from Jayaram Dora (donor) to Raghaba Ram Dora (recipient), subsequently that of Swamy was removed and transplanted into the body of the recipient.

The Commission, in the September 8 notice, directed the state chief secretary to submit the ATR (action taken report) within six weeks. It had also recommended a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the victim.