SL DOC IN KIDNEY SCAM NOT GRILLED
Medical director says his signature was forged
Sleuths of the Hyderabad Central Crime Station are yet to interrogate the Sri Lankan nephrologist, Dr Ambepitiya Arachchige Don Monik Tervin Sanjeewa, who was accused of doing 58 kidney transplantations with paid donors coming from Hyderabad, Nalgonda and Guntur districts, and other parts of India.
The CCS recently sent yet another clarification to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding the Letter Rogatory for recording Dr Monik’s statement in Sri Lanka.
It is alleged that Continental Hospital transplanted kidneys for two patients from unrelated donors.
Gachibowli police have named three persons, Harish Manian, Continental Hospital chief operating officer, Gokul Prem Kumar, general manager, international business and Ramesh Kirshnan, CEO.
The case is booked under Sections 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged document), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and Sections 19 and 19A of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (HOTA). The complaint was filed by Dr Praveen Kumar, former medical director of Continental Hospital.
In the FIR, the police noted, “The complainant, Dr Praveen Kumar, worked as medical director in the hospital from April 4, 2016, to November 30, 2016. During his tenure in the hospital, he encountered certain illegal activities regarding kidney transplantation. He noticed that the donors and the recipients were not biologically related in two cases. Due to which, the complainant refused to sign on the documents. But the accused forged his signature and got the transplantation done. They also threatened him with dire consequences.”
The police said that most of the donors and recipients are from Bangladesh and African countries.
Dr Praveen Kumar said, “I am a UKtrained plastic surgeon who worked there for 17 years. I was the medical director of Continental Hospital. I took the role of a whistle blower in November 2016 having discovered many lapses in the non-medical management. As an ethical doctor I have championed the rights of patients.”