Hyderabad: Several hospitals in Telangana are under scrutiny for failing to meet the required standards for organ transplant procedures. Now, a question mark hangs over the renewal of their licence. While 41 private hospitals are authorised to conduct transplant surgeries in the state, scrutiny by authorities has flagged concerns about the safety and integrity of transplant practices.
These hospitals are legally required to renew their transplant licences every five years. However, the renewal process has come under scrutiny in recent months, with several hospitals receiving memos or having their renewal applications kept in abeyance due to failure to meet the necessary standards.
Sources said holding back of licence renewals and the ongoing investigation highlight the procedural lapses and ethical failures in these accredited institutions, affecting both donors and recipients.
In addition to Gandhi, Osmania hospitals, and NIMS in the govt sector, 41 private hospitals in Telangana (all located in Hyderabad) are authorised to conduct the organ transplants.
Authorities have recently uncovered a kidney trafficking racket linked to Alakananda Hospital, which was involved in unauthorised kidney transplant surgeries. This alarming revelation brings to light serious concerns regarding the transplant practices in accredited hospitals as well, sources say.
Despite stringent protocols, reports highlight suspicions of negligence and mismanagement, with patients suffering from post-surgery health problems severe enough to require treatment in govt hospitals. While some complications are expected with transplant procedures, the fact that organ donors are also facing health issues points to deeper systemic flaws, health experts say.
While all 41 hospitals have the necessary permissions for kidney transplants, about 10 licence for conducting liver transplants, and an additional five are permitted to perform both kidney and liver transplants.
Hospitals can secure initial permissions for organ transplants by paying around Rs 1 lakh, with renewals costing just Rs 10,000 every five years. This relatively low fee structure has raised questions whether it adequately reflects the risks and costs associated with such high-stakes surgeries. “It is truly concerning, especially given the massive amounts private hospitals charge for transplants, ranging from lakhs to crores,” a senior doctor pointed out.
What is even more troubling is the failure of several hospitals to meet their ethical obligations to share organs from deceased donors or contribute data about living donors to a common organ pool. Despite benefiting significantly from the govt’s platform programme, many hospitals neglect their duty to report available organs, leading to an uneven distribution of transplants. Sources say on an average, private hospitals have contributed only 2.5 organs from cadaver donations to the shared pool over the past five years, while receiving hundreds of organs themselves for transplant procedures.
Ganji Eswara Lingam, founder of Amma Eye Organ and Body Donation Promoters Organisation, emphasized the need for govt control over the organ procurement process. “Hospitals bypass the authorities by independently registering recipient needs and conducting transplants with cadaver organs without informing the govt,” he said. This lack of transparency allows hospitals to use organs they have on hand, circumventing the shared pool meant to ensure that transplants are allocated to those in greater need.
Health experts highlighted the urgent need for reform in transplant practices across Telangana. Strengthening regulatory measures, ensuring ethical organ sharing, and addressing procedural failures are critical to protecting the health and well-being of both donors and recipients, a health expert said.
These hospitals are legally required to renew their transplant licences every five years. However, the renewal process has come under scrutiny in recent months, with several hospitals receiving memos or having their renewal applications kept in abeyance due to failure to meet the necessary standards.
Sources said holding back of licence renewals and the ongoing investigation highlight the procedural lapses and ethical failures in these accredited institutions, affecting both donors and recipients.
In addition to Gandhi, Osmania hospitals, and NIMS in the govt sector, 41 private hospitals in Telangana (all located in Hyderabad) are authorised to conduct the organ transplants.
Authorities have recently uncovered a kidney trafficking racket linked to Alakananda Hospital, which was involved in unauthorised kidney transplant surgeries. This alarming revelation brings to light serious concerns regarding the transplant practices in accredited hospitals as well, sources say.
Despite stringent protocols, reports highlight suspicions of negligence and mismanagement, with patients suffering from post-surgery health problems severe enough to require treatment in govt hospitals. While some complications are expected with transplant procedures, the fact that organ donors are also facing health issues points to deeper systemic flaws, health experts say.
While all 41 hospitals have the necessary permissions for kidney transplants, about 10 licence for conducting liver transplants, and an additional five are permitted to perform both kidney and liver transplants.
Hospitals can secure initial permissions for organ transplants by paying around Rs 1 lakh, with renewals costing just Rs 10,000 every five years. This relatively low fee structure has raised questions whether it adequately reflects the risks and costs associated with such high-stakes surgeries. “It is truly concerning, especially given the massive amounts private hospitals charge for transplants, ranging from lakhs to crores,” a senior doctor pointed out.
What is even more troubling is the failure of several hospitals to meet their ethical obligations to share organs from deceased donors or contribute data about living donors to a common organ pool. Despite benefiting significantly from the govt’s platform programme, many hospitals neglect their duty to report available organs, leading to an uneven distribution of transplants. Sources say on an average, private hospitals have contributed only 2.5 organs from cadaver donations to the shared pool over the past five years, while receiving hundreds of organs themselves for transplant procedures.
Ganji Eswara Lingam, founder of Amma Eye Organ and Body Donation Promoters Organisation, emphasized the need for govt control over the organ procurement process. “Hospitals bypass the authorities by independently registering recipient needs and conducting transplants with cadaver organs without informing the govt,” he said. This lack of transparency allows hospitals to use organs they have on hand, circumventing the shared pool meant to ensure that transplants are allocated to those in greater need.
Health experts highlighted the urgent need for reform in transplant practices across Telangana. Strengthening regulatory measures, ensuring ethical organ sharing, and addressing procedural failures are critical to protecting the health and well-being of both donors and recipients, a health expert said.
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