Worker forced to sell kidney to repay loan in India

The police have launched a state-wide crackdown on an international kidney transplantation racket arresting at least four persons from different parts of Maharashtra.
The latest kidney racket emerged after Santosh Gawli, a worker in Akola, about 600km east of Mumbai, complained that his kidney had been removed at a Colombo hospital, but he had not been paid the promised amount.
Gawli claimed that he had borrowed Rs20,000 from one Anand Jadhav, a moneylender, but had missed paying an installment. Jadhav then suggested to him that he could clear off the loan and earn an additional Rs400,000 by opting to donate a kidney.
According to the state police, Jadhav made arrangements with an agent and all three of them flew to Sri Lanka, where the transplantation took place. However, when Gawli was paid just Rs300,000, he filed a complaint against Jadhav.
The police swung into action and arrested Jadhav and the agent. On Sunday, two more persons were nabbed in Sangli and Buldhana. They included the alleged kingpin behind the racket. Other donors, who had also been taken to Sri Lanka for the operations, have also filed complaints with the authorities. India has strict laws governing the transplantation of human organs. Punishments for commercial deals in human organs attract a jail term of five years - extendable to 10 years - and a fine of Rs2 million, which can go up to Rs10 million. The Transplantation of Human Organs Act allows only a close relative - including spouse, children or parents - from donating a kidney to a patient.
Tough implementation of the law in recent years has resulted in hundreds of patients and donors being taken to Sri Lanka, Singapore and Iran for transplantations. The agents have made arrangements with hospitals in India and in these countries to ensure a smooth procedure. Maharashtra's health minister Deepak Sawant has set up a committee to probe the role of some hospitals and laboratories in the state in carrying out pre-operation tests on both the donor and the recipient. Sawant will also seek tightening of the central act to curb such malpractices.
Sunayna Singh, CEO, Organ India, part of the Prashar Foundation - a Delhi-based NGO that seeks to raise awareness about deceased organ donations - told Khaleej Times that with cadaver donations not picking up, many desperate patients are forced to fly to neighbouring countries for organ transplants.
But they fall foul of the law in India when payments for the organs take place here, or when complications arise after the transplantation and either the donor or the recipient has to be treated at Indian hospitals. The annual demand for kidney transplants is estimated to be around 200,000. The problem will persist as long as cadaver donations do not pick up, she adds.
nithin@khaleejtimes.com

• India