HUNT FOR KIDNEY RACKETEERS IN COLOMBO

Five racketeers still at large in Colombo:

MOH appointed a five-member committee in a rushed re-shuffle:

90 per cent of transplants were non-related Indians:

Lankan hospitals named in recent bust were cited in 2014:

by Rukshana Rizwie

Startling revelations have come to light in the Indo-Lanka kidney racket, which was exposed recently by Indian authorities, and which is to be probed by a special committee of five, appointed by the Ministry of Health yesterday (23)

According to the Indian police authorities, they have evidence that five top racketeers who were part of this illegal organ trade are still at large in Colombo.

Indian media on Friday reported that SP Vikram Jeet Duggal of the Telengana Police had said the revelation was made by Suresh Prajapathi, one of the main suspects arrested in the central Indian state and interrogated earlier this week. Prajapathi has reportedly admitted that five of his associates, who played a key role in facilitating the kidney transplantations in Sri Lankan hospitals, were still in Colombo.

A damning report released by Indian authorities, which was highly publicised in India, named six doctors working at four well-known private hospitals in Colombo as being accomplices to the trade.

The Private Health Regulatory Service Council (PHRSC), the apex body for private hospitals in Sri Lanka however, insisted all kidney transplants in Sri Lanka are performed with the prior approval from the Ministry of Health.

Director of the PHRSC, Dr. Kanthi Ariyaratne, a member of the initial committee appointed by Health Minister, Rajitha Senaratne told the Sunday Observer every kidney transplant performed by private hospitals was approved by the Ministry of Health, and that transplants were not performed illegally by the individuals.

She, however, conceded that almost all donors and recipients were Indians. “Concerns were raised by the MOH regarding the numbers but due to the lack of sufficient documents, they were negated,” she added.

Meanwhile, on a directive by the Health Minister, the Director General of Health Services, Dr. Palitha Maheepala, yesterday appointed a new five-member committee to inquire into the racket.

In what is seen as a rushed re-shuffle to quell rumours that the authorities were complacent, the Ministry has appointed Dr. Jayasundara Bandara as head of the committee while Dr. Lakshmi Saramatunga, Dr. Kamal Jayasinghe, Dr Rajapriya Balasuriya and Dr Rohana Silva were appointed as members of the committee.

The Ministry of Health has temporarily suspended kidney transplants on foreigners in Sri Lanka.

The Government Medical Officers Association yesterday said the Ministry of Health, and the government, must be held responsible over the kidney scam in Sri Lanka.

The Government Medical Officers Association yesterday said the Ministry of Health, and the government, must be held responsible over the kidney scam in Sri Lanka.

According to records, around 60 people have sold their kidneys for transplants at four hospitals in Colombo since 2012.