The Tamil Nadu health department has launched a formal inquiry into a private hospital in Trichy, days after Maharashtra police identified it as a key location in a suspected nationwide illegal kidney trafficking network. The probe focuses on Star KIMS Hospital, whose managing director is a prime suspect.
Health Officials Find Hospital Nearly Empty
Acting on orders from the directorate of medical services, a team led by Joint Director Gopinath visited Star KIMS Hospital on Friday morning. However, the inquiry faced immediate hurdles. The team could not locate Dr G Rajaratnam, the hospital's managing director, who is allegedly at the centre of the case. They found only a handful of staff members and a single patient recovering from a liver transplant.
Officials remained tight-lipped about the inquiry's progress, revealing they could hardly find anyone to provide necessary documents. Details of the lone patient were collected, but the lack of access to records stalled the investigation. The team has now been given another week to complete its inquiry following instructions from the collector.
A Repeat Investigation with Similar Challenges
Joint Director Gopinath revealed this is not the first time the hospital has been under scrutiny for these allegations. The same case, involving identical names provided by Maharashtra police, surfaced approximately six months ago. During that earlier probe, officials examined all case sheets, donor registries, and transplant records but could not find the names in question.
"It is possible that there could have been an illegal register, but this was our observation," stated JD Gopinath, highlighting the challenges of uncovering clandestine operations. The fresh inquiry aims to dig deeper based on the latest information from Maharashtra.
Cross-State Coordination in the Kidney Racket Probe
Meanwhile, State Health Minister Ma Subramaniam reiterated the department's stance, aligning with Health Secretary P Senthilkumar's Thursday comments. The minister confirmed that while a local inquiry is underway, the Tamil Nadu government has also requested more specific details about the nature of the alleged crimes from the Maharashtra government. This cross-state coordination is crucial for understanding the pan-India dimensions of the racket.
The case came to light after Maharashtra police, investigating the illegal kidney transplant racket, zeroed in on the Trichy-based doctor. Their breakthrough came from interrogating arrested intermediaries, brokers, fake doctors, and donors, who confessed that several illegal surgeries were conducted at the hospital. A few days prior, a Maharashtra police team had raided the hospital in Trichy but were directed by local district police to follow proper procedure, leading to their departure.
The Maharashtra police claim that several illegal transplants were performed at the hospital and that the doctor played a pivotal role in identifying donors through a network of intermediaries. The health department's current inquiry is a critical step in verifying these allegations and uncovering the extent of the illegal activities within the state's medical infrastructure.
