Nephrologists want crack-down on kidney trade

The Indian Society of nephrology (ISN) has called for a strict government action against the kidney racket operating in the country.

The government needs to amend the transplantation of human organ act ,1994 at the earliest stop it.

According to KS Chugh, founder, ISN, rising incidence of chronic kidney diseases led to blossoming of middlemen involved in the business of kidney transplantation.

Recent study conducted in Bhopal estimated that of the 1,52,000 kidney patients in India, only 20 per cent of could get transplantation organs from cadaver donors.

Chugh alleged in some smaller cities near Delhi, kidney transplantation was being done at residences, while the act allowed organ transplantation only in "authorised" hospitals.

"A new trend illegal kidney transplantation at residences is emerging in the northern part of the country , as it is a very lucrative business," he said.

The transplantation act of 1994 stipulated that only near relatives of a kidney patient could donate organs.

However, unrelated donors could give organs out of generosity, but without any monetary transaction.

The society wanted the act to be amended do as to widen the organ pool by giving distant relatives the status of a rightful donor.

At the same time it should encourage use of organs form cadaver donors.

Three years ago the Delhi High Court had constituted a committee to look into the matter, but there was no progress, Chugh alleged.

Kolkata had its own middlemen involved in illegal kidney transplantation.

According to Dilip Kumar Pahari, secretary, ISN east, touts in Kolkata usually contacted patients on seeing advertisements by patients without a relative to donate a kidney.

Touts posed as sympathetic donors but charged a huge fee from the patient for the kidney.

Government support and insurance cover was also needed, Chugh said.

Nearly 80 per cent of dialysis patients in India discontinued the procedure after a few months owing to economic problems.