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The Tamil Nadu government permanently dismissed the kidney transplant licences of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital in Perambalur and Cethar Hospital in Trichy on August 10 following the discovery of illegal organ trade at both premises.
The discovery was made by a government appointed inquiry committee that probed allegations of irregularities in organ transplants linked to donors from the Pallipalayam and other areas of Namakkal district.
Controversy erupted after videos and testimonies surfaced online. Several workers from Pallipalayam’s dyeing and textile mills in Namakkal district said they had been lured into selling their kidneys for sums ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh but ended up receiving lesser amounts.
Following the allegations, the government constituted an inquiry committee headed by Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project Director S Vineeth, IAS, and began its investigation on July 22.
The committee’s preliminary findings confirmed discrepancies in the kidney transplant process. The Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services had initially suspended the kidney transplant licences of two private hospitals, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital and Cethar Hospital.
According to the committee’s report, both hospitals violated the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, by submitting forged documents to the state’s Authorisation Committee to secure the approval for kidney transplants.
Organs were procured from unrelated living donors in exchange for money through brokers and transplant coordinators. Documents were forged to proceed with the surgeries.
Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Hospital is owned by A Srinivasan,the father of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA Kathiravan.
Two brokers, identified as Anandan and Stanley Mohan, were found to have played a key role in arranging the illegal organ sales. Based on bank transactions, phone records, and other evidence, the state has ordered the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023.
The report recommends video recording all district committee interviews, instructing hospitals to thoroughly verify all supporting documents including residence and relationship proofs before forwarding them for approval, and launching regular public awareness on the illegality of organ sales.
The state government has accepted the committee’s recommendations, which includes the permanent cancellation of transplant licences of the two hospitals, restructuring the authorisation system by creating a new state-level committee and reconstituting the four existing district-level committees in Chennai (Kilpauk), Madurai, Coimbatore, and Dharmapuri.
The state government will also constitute the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for counselling donors and recipients on medical and legal aspects before surgeries are approved.