Odisha H&FW orders probe into organ theft allegations against private hospital

Bhubaneswar:  Odisha Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Friday ordered a probe into the allegations of organ theft labelled against a private hospital in Cuttack.

“After the news about the allegations came to the fore, the officials of the H&FW department were immediately asked to conduct a departmental probe into the matter. The officials are carrying out a detailed probe and action will be taken following the receipt of the report,” said Mahaling.

The H&FW minister also told the media persons that the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate police are also investigating the matter.

The deceased identified as Babula Diggal, a resident of Tikarbaju village under Baliguda police limits in Kandhamal district met with an accident while travelling with wife and son by a motorcycle on October 13.

He was immediately rushed to a local hospital where the doctors referred him to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur. Babula was later referred to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar for further treatment.

Meanwhile, the family admitted a seriously injured Babula to the private hospital in Cuttack as per the suggestions of the ambulance driver on October 15. The seriously injured Babula succumbed while undergoing treatment at the hospital on October 16.

The family members also alleged that after the hospital authorities informed about the death of Babula they urged the doctors there to conduct the post mortem which the doctors denied. While on their way home, the family members were shocked to find the stitch marks on the stomach of the deceased as he suffered injuries on his head. The family members alleged that the doctors in the private hospital had removed some organs from the body of the deceased.

The family members stated that they had paid Rs 70,000 initially and Rs 30,000 after the completion of the surgery.

Based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s family members, the Baliguda police registered a case and launched a probe in this regard.

The police on Friday exhumed the body of Babula and sent it for autopsy to find out whether any body part was missing or not. A team of Commissionerate police also visited the private hospital in Cuttack to investigate the organ theft allegations.

On the other hand, the manager of the concerned hospital Sushant Behera on Friday denied the allegations of organ theft and said that the hospital will cooperate in the investigation.

–IANS