A Non Governmental Organisation has accused a private hospital which transplanted a heart of violating rules by revealing the identity of donor and recipient allegedly due to "ulterior considerations" and demanded action against the hospital.
"A transplant centre hospital shall not reveal the identity or attract any form of media publicity," said A Narayanan, Director, Change India, quoting a Government Order in his petition to the Convenor, Tamil Nadu Cadaver Transplant Programme under the state government health department.
"The identity of both the donor and the patient was revealed which is highly unethical," he charged.
Quoting section 5 of the Government Order of September 5, 2008, he said "a transplant centre hospital shall not reveal the identity or attract any form of media publicity earlier than the date of discharge of recipients."
Even after discharge, only the positive aspects of organ donation may be highlighted to promote organ donation and not details of the recipient.
"The corporate hospital, in this case, Fortis Malar Hospitals has clearly violated the order by revealing the details of the recipient and their family for the sake of publicity and even gave free access to the press by giving interviews," he said.
Stating that such tactics by corporate hospitals may help their brand image, the top NGO executive said it undermined the noble objectives of the Cadaver Transplant Programme of government of Tamil Nadu.
"Revealing names of the patient, donor and family members to the media may put avoidable pressure, mental agony and anxiety."
"I request you to take steps to suspend the membership of the corporate hospital from the Cadaver Transplant Programme of government of Tamil Nadu and order an investigation and draw up detailed guidelines for media coverage of such events", he said in his petition.
"It is well known that health sector has become one of the most commercialised sectors in India with very high stakes for corporate hospitals, pharma sector, medical insurance and medical diagnostic industry, who often indulge in grey practices.
