Health Dept tries to wash hands off the ugly affair
The condition of those who sold their kidneys and later were ditched by middlemen of the promised amounts of money is now worsening day by day due to lack of proper treatment. Knowing very well that they are equally responsible in this illegal trade, the poor donors are now unwilling to approach the doctors and get necessary medication required after surgery.
While the two women, whose cases have already come to light, are now bedridden, other donors of local Mangalabag area are also passing through lots of sufferings, sources said, adding that poverty and indignity are keeping these persons in seclusion. “It’s high time that the State Government comes forward to help these unfortunate souls, who traded in wrong path due to acute poverty,” said advocate Gadadhar Sahu, who heads a voluntary organisation in the city.
Meanwhile, the State Health Department on Tuesday tried its best to wash their hands off this ugly development, saying it was the duty of an Authorisation Committee under the DMET to vet the papers required for organ transplantation in the State. At the same time, the DMET is expressing his inability saying he doesn’t have scope to verify the genuineness of every document submitted before it.
It may be mentioned that the racket dealing with the illegal kidney trade has fraudulently prepared many documents to show the cases are genuine and legal organ transplantations. In one such case, the donor’s husband was shown as a businessman having an annual income of `2.6 lakh, but in reality the person was a poor rickshaw puller.
In the second case of kidney trade that came out in the open recently, the city police after verifying documents have found that the donor’s name was changed and she was shown as the wife of the recipient. “Actually, the donor woman was not remotely related to the recipient and she even had not seen the recipient before,” police sources said.
While the illegal organ trade in Cuttack is now threatening to take its toll, the investigating police in the meantime have arrested five persons, including three members of a racket. A woman member of this gang, currently cooling her heels behind the bar, is likely to be taken on police remand soon for further questioning as she has been made a common accused in two cases under police investigation.