Sri Lanka launches investigation into alleged human kidney racket
Sri Lanka has launched an investigation into allegations that a group of surgeons ran a racket trading human kidneys, the health ministry said on Saturday, two days after the authorities banned all kidney transplant surgery for foreigners.
The health ministry has appointed a committee of five experts to run the investigation, it said in a statement.
Allegations of the racket first surfaced in Indian media. Most of the alleged recipients of the illegally traded kidneys were Indian nationals. Trading in human organs in illegal in Sri Lanka.
On Thursday, Sri Lanka’s Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said all kidney transplant surgery performed on foreigners had been suspended until an investigation was completed.
“If somebody has done business with kidney, that is unacceptable and illegal. What we have heard is that intermediaries have earned an exorbitant amount of money and six doctors have been involved.”
Indian media, quoting a top police official, said one person detained in the case had facilitated 15 kidney donations at a fee of 100,000 Indian rupees ($1,480) per transaction, while each donor was given 500,000 rupees.
According to the reports, around 60 people sold their kidneys for transplants at four hospitals in Colombo since 2012.
(Reuters)
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As usual, another investigation. How many years do you need for this?
This government only conducts investigations, without no any final outcome. Now they say “this govt. is only one year old baby and do dot expect more”, I wonder they say after 5 years term, “this govt. is only 5 year old child and what you can expect more from a child”.
Yes, what they say is true always we the public only wrong.
Don’t you think we are fed-up with these two main parties. I think time has come to turn …….
do not forget the former regime 10 years and still a baby wanted five more to grow up
Surgeons generally deal with blood and they are not averse to blood money either. Patients are generally at the mercy of quacks masquerading as doctors! When dealing with kidneys the donors are mercy of the quak that excise the kidney and the guy who grafts the patient. The procedure is complex and the patients have go through various tests and then find a compatible kideny or what ever tissue that need to be grafted.
In sri lanka there are only a few quaks that specialise in organ tarnsfers so there will be no difficulty in tracking down those involved in these activities.