IMA constitutes 3-member committee to probe kidney scam

New Delhi, Jan 28 (UNI) Taking serious note of the Gurgaon kidney racket, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) today set up a three-member committee to probe the incident, and also called for a review of existing laws on organ transplant.

Announcing constitution of the committee, IMA's national president M Abbas said it would comprise former IMA secretary general Vinay Aggarwal, managing director and chairman of Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital, and Drs S C L Gupta and Dharm Prakash. The committee has been directed to submit its report in 15 days.

Expressing anguish over the racket, Dr Abbas called for stern punishment for doctors indulging in such practices.

He also blamed the stringent organ transplantation laws as responsible for the current crisis, and urged that the Transplantation of Human Organ Act, 1994 should be made more lenient and both donor and recipient-friendly.

''A more liberal approach is needed,'' Dr Abbas said.

He also sought promotion of cadaveric organ donation and said the IMA would launch a nationwide awareness programme in this regard and also press the government for opening up more cadaveric organ retrieval centres.

In raids conducted over past week, a surgeon and four others were arrested from a house in Gurgaon from where the racket was being run for several years. The team allegedly made over 600 poor people part with their kidneys.

UNI VD Mir GC2010