The Tamil Nadu Information Commission has directed the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRASTAN) to share details about the number of kidneys allotted to a city-based corporate hospital and information about recipients with a petitioner, who sought the data under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
The order assumes significance against the backdrop of the fact that post-transplant data is considered a crucial record of the human organ transplantation programme in the State and it is not made available in the public domain. Transtan, which is implementing the programme under the supervision of the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), a national body under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, has now initiated the process of collecting post-transplant data, including details of national and international beneficiaries, in the State.
In July 2017, L. Jagannathan of Chennai wrote to the Health Department seeking to know under RTI Act the number of ‘B Positive’ kidneys allotted to the corporate hospital, both local and shared, between 2015 and 17. He also sought to know the number of patients whose names enrolled through the hospital were removed from the waitlist by Transtan and the details of beneficiaries who underwent kidney transplantation during that period.
Not satisfied with the reply of the Public Information Officer and the first appellate authority, he moved the Tamil Nadu Information Commission. He claimed that the public authority had not furnished the complete information. The PIO representing Transtan explained that the information sought by the petitioner was already given and even submitted copies of the replies.
After hearing both sides, Tamil Nadu Information Commissioner S. Selvaraj noted that the information with reference to a particular question raised by the petitioner was not furnished and directed Transtan to provide it within a stipulated time and report compliance to the Commission.
Probe launched
In a related development, the Madurai Police launched investigation into the sensational organ transplant scam which was exposed by The Hindu in June 2018. Based on a complaint preferred by an advocate, C. Anandraj of Madurai, to the CBI, which was later referred to the State police, the Anna Nagar police summoned and examined the petitioner on his allegations of serious irregularities in the human organ transplantation programme in Tamil Nadu.
The petition mostly relies on the series of reports published by The Hindu and points to two specific instances where suspected irregularities occurred in the allocation of organs.
“I have explained in detail the irregularities to the Assistant Commissioner of Police and gave documents in support of my allegations. My written statement explains how the scam took place and why it is a fitting case for the CBI to investigate. I have urged the investigation officer to summon and examine the doctors, patients, hospital authorities and others involved in the scam,” Mr. Anandraj told The Hindu.
His public interest litigation petition seeking a CBI probe into the scam is pending in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.