State govt has no data on live organ transplantations done since 2014

Hyderabad: The Telangana government which claims to have an ideal organ transplantation policy has no data pertaining to the number of live organ transplantation done since 2014. This was revealed in response to an RTI where authorities denied giving information stating that it was a third-party info.

The government has been encouraging the citizens, particularly those families whose kin were brain-dead, to go for organ donation. Recently, Health Minister T Harish Rao said that the government was saving lives by providing organs based on seniority. The government also recognised 162 family members who donated organs as real life heroes.

However, in response to a Right to Information (RTI), authorities allegedly denied giving info stating that details cannot be given as it comes under the third party information. The applicant sought details of registered hospital (private) wise rejected applications and reasons for rejection, but authorities denied with the same reason of being a third party info.

The Health Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) president K Mahesh Kumar alleged that authorities failed to give data pertaining to the transplantation; it has to be assumed that there is no data at all. Officials are not maintaining any data and not regulating corporate hospitals for doing organ transplantations which can encourage illegal kidney/liver transplantation racket, he alleged.

He charged that the authorities did not provide details of live transplantations done since 2014. "They did not even provide the number of live transplantations done since 2014 even though they mentioned that details were enclosed in RTI reply, but they refused to provide copies of permitted and rejected application details," said Kumar.

Alleging conspiracy, he demanded the government to immediately remove concerned official from the post and order a police investigation."What is the problem in giving details of private hospitals", he asked. There should be clear data on organ transplantation since there is a big mafia thriving in the country on illegal organ transplants as it involves huge money, Kumar stated.