Show-cause notice to Pune hospital over kidney transplant

The health department of the Maharashtra government has issued a show-cause notice to a private hospital here over an alleged fraud during a kidney transplant procedure.A woman allegedly posed as the wife of a patient so that he could undergo a kidney transplant.

The health department of the Maharashtra government has issued a show-cause notice to a private hospital here over an alleged fraud during a kidney transplant procedure.

A woman allegedly posed as the wife of a patient so that he could undergo a kidney transplant. ''A show-cause notice has been given to the hospital, seeking their reply,'' said Sanjog Kadam, deputy director, health.

The legal advisor of the hospital confirmed to PTI that it has received a notice, seeking reply in 24 hours.

''The show-cause notice asks why the registration of the hospital for organ transplantation should not be suspended. We will give appropriate reply by Friday morning,'' she added.

The male patient who misled the hospital had produced documents like Aadhaar card, ration card, marriage certificate, passport which backed his claim that he and the woman were husband and wife, the adviser said.

''They had even furnished police verification. All these documents were issued by government agencies, so how are we liable and why a show-cause notice to us,'' she said. A woman from Kolhapur, who was allegedly promised Rs 15 lakh, fraudulently posed as the wife of a man who needed a transplant and donated her kidney to a young woman patient.

In turn, the young woman's mother donated her kidney to the man.

Such a swap involving two patients and their relatives is carried out when the patients can not receive a kidney from their own kin because of blood group mismatch.

On March 29, four days after the transplant surgery, the woman revealed her real identity after she had had a dispute over money. The hospital then alerted the police. Police reported the incident to the health department which is now probing the matter.