Ban touts, protect patients

It is unsettling to see the investigation details emerging from the kidney scam at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi and Hiranandani in Mumbai. They reveal that touts, doctors, kidney donors — and recipients — are getting caught in the police net. Why recipients of the kidney?

Well, that’s the confounding reality, where the person with a dire kidney problem, probably driven by desperation to approach a tout, faces prosecution. Just as the giver and taker of a bribe can be prosecuted, in the case of kidney transplants, both parties in an illegal transaction face prosecution, besides others who may be involved or should take responsibility. Try and understand the state of mind of a person with failing kidneys looking for an avenue of hope. There is desperation. And in the absence of easy and efficient systems to enrol into an organ transplant programme, patients are easy picking for touts who operate in and near hospitals.

The Maharashtra government’s effort to link the Aadhar card to the verification of donors and recipients is flawed:it is neither foolproof nor mandatory. It is at best a deterrent for petty scamsters. But recent scams have shown great sophistication in their methods. And scrutinising panels in hospitals would do well to appoint reputed police or former investigating officials and advocacy workers to help catch suspicious cases. Doctors are ill-trained to conduct such scrutiny.

Supporting documents could include a PAN, Aadhar or voter identification card. But in a country that boasts IT skills, the Government should install a simple system to enrol for organ transplants, in which donor details are transparent and yet privacy concerns are taken care of. Simultaneously, touts should be physically removed from hospital premises. Only then can patients needing a transplant have a safe shot at getting one, without the fear of unscrupulous elements and the prosecution that follows.

PT Jyothi Datta Deputy Editor

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