Sraddha Hospital to soon be seized by officials in Visakhapatnam

The district officials, on Tuesday, issued a closure notice to Sraddha Hospital, which was involved in a kidney racket in Visakhapatnam. The notice has been issued following District Collector K Bhaskar’s orders after a 3-member probing committee submitted its report.

The notice had instructed the hospital to submit an explanation, on the charges, within 24 hours. The charges on Sraddha Hospital included a failure to set up an internal transplants committee that violates The Transplant of Human Organs Act. The Hospital was also charged as four of its doctors had not renewed their licenses.

The kidney racket at Sraddha Hospital, which came to limelight early this month, revealed a murky tale of organ trade that extended from Visakhapatnam to Bengaluru. Reportedly, the donor, who was assured of Rs. 12 lacs in return for his kidney, was paid just Rs 5 lacs, making him register a complaint with the police. Following this, the authorities have been instructed to take the hospitals to task if found trading the organs illegally. The culprits responsible were taken into custody accordingly.

Following Collector’s orders, several private hospitals are being raided in Visakhapatnam. While two hospitals were inspected on Tuesday, reports claim that Care Hospital in the city was raided on Wednesday. The raids are expected to continue for a few more days before the three-member committee reviews the transplant surgeries at different hospitals and submits a final report to the Collector.