Natarajan’s organ transplant stirs row
FURORE Tamil Nadu BJP raises questions over treatment provided to Sasikala’s husband
CHENNAI: Questions are being raised over the way an accident victim,19-year-olddailywagerin Thanjavur, was airlifted to a private hospital where jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala’s husband, M Natarajan, underwent a liver and kidney transplant operation with the organs harvested from his body.
The Global Hospital in Chennaiadmittedthatthefamilyofthe patient, Karthik, were advised against moving the boy from the Tanjavur hospital but they preferredtoshifthimtotheChennai GleneaglesGlobalHealthCityfor specialised treatment.
“It was here that the doctors treated Karthik but failed to revive him and declared braindead. The family of the boy consented to organ donation and his liverandkidneyweredonatedto Natarajan,” Gleneagles Global Health City said in a statement.
Doctors conducted a sevenhour long operation for successful operation, the hospital said.
But activists raised questions overthewaytheentireoperation was carried out.
Incidentally, reports said that Natarajan had registered with the organ transplant authority forliverandkidneyandwaswaiting for the same for the past few days.
Raising serious doubts over the whole exercise, BJP Tamil Nadu unit president, Tamilisai Soundararajan, on Thursday demanded a thorough inquiry into the whole affair, saying that therightsonorgansbelongtothe hospital that declared the boy brain-dead — that is, the government hospital in Tanjavur.
“All rules relating to organ donation and transplant were flouted,” she alleged, saying that the case must be investigated.
“A lawyer contacted us and told us that insurance money would take care of treatment of Karthik at a bigger hospital in Chennai,” Karthik’s sister told a private television channel here. She said, “We were advised to donate but were not aware to whom they were given.”
“How could the family of the very poor boy afford him being airlifted to a private hospital in Chennaiandwhopaidfortheservicesraised important questions that point to a foul play,” said Soundararajan.
Incidentally, the person who allowed the organ transplant, Dr P Balaji, heads the Transplant AuthorityofTamilNadu.Hewas made the head of this body only recently. Dr Balaji is also the doctorwhoattestedthefingerprintof formerchiefministerJ Jayalalithaa on the election forms of AIADMK candidates.
Citingthis,theBJPleadersaid a high-level thorough probe into the whole affair would bring out the truth.
Natarajanwasadmittedtothe hospital at Perumbakkam on September 10 after he suffered multiple organ failure.
Sasikala had earlier sought 15-day parole in order to meet Natarajan.
A lawyer contacted us and told us that insurance money would take care of Karthik’s treatment at a bigger hospital in Chennai. We were advised to donate the organs but were not aware to whom they were given.
SISTER OF THE VICTIM, whose organs were used for transplant