renal racket

The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act of 1994 forbids the sale of organs for profit and only enables donation between family members or with permission from the government in certain cases.

But as recent events in Rajasthan and Haryana have shown, the illicit trade in human organs persists in spite of these laws. On Thursday, a kidney transplant scam operating across state lines was exposed in Gurugram. Mohammed Murtaza Ansari, a native of Jharkhand, is suspected of being the mastermind and of enticing contributors and beneficiaries, most of whom are from Bangladesh.

Ansari advertised on social media, guaranteeing contributors would get money. He made around Rs 8 lakh per transaction, while they only got about Rs 2 lakh. It is said that he assisted in kidney transplants at a top Jaipur hospital. A website that was looking for kidney dealers was discovered the previous year after the Gurugram police received a complaint from a reputable hospital whose name was being misused.

Such repeated wrongdoings highlight the chutzpah of organ traffickers and the difficulties facing law enforcement. To avoid discovery, criminal syndicates take use of legal weaknesses and internet platforms. Dr. Amit Kumar was given a seven-year prison term by a Panchkula court in 2020 for intimidating witnesses in a kidney transplant fraud. However, rather than focusing on the organized networks that support the illicit trade, these prosecutions often target specific people.

Strict action is desperately needed to stop the trafficking of organs. To take down the networks, law enforcement and other agencies must cooperate closely together, and severe punishments must be used to discourage future criminals. It is critical to address the underlying causes of the threat, such as poverty and a lack of access to reasonably priced healthcare. To stop the organ trade, several parties must work together, including the government, medical professionals, and members of the public.