Maha: Functioning of regional organ transplant authorisation committee temporarily suspended

Days after the registration of Pune-based Ruby Hall Clinic was suspended for organ transplantation, the functioning of the regional organ transplant authorisation committee has been temporarily suspended over the alleged malpractice during a kidney transplant procedure.

A woman had allegedly posed as the wife of a patient so that he could undergo a kidney transplant at the private hospital.

''The functioning of the regional organ transplant authorisation committee at Sassoon General Hospital has been temporarily suspended. New or urgent applications will go to the state organ transplant authorisation committee for further approval-related process,'' a health official said. Earlier, the Maharashtra health department, which is probing the alleged fraud during a kidney transplant procedure, had suspended Ruby Hall Clinic's registration for organ transplantation.

Meanwhile, the charge of the superintendent of Sassoon General Hospital, which was held by Dr Ajay Taware, has now been given to Dr Vijay Jadhav.

Dr Taware was part of the regional authorisation committee.

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 cannot receive a kidney from their own kin because of a blood group mismatch.

On March 29, four days after undergoing the transplant surgery at Ruby Hall Clinic, the woman revealed her real identity after she had had a dispute over money.

The hospital then alerted the police, which in turn reported the incident to the state health department.