Body to check illegal transplantation

LAHORE

A regulatory system would be evolved to control human organs illegal transplantation and to award exemplary punishment to the elements found involved in such inhuman activities. Monitoring and Evaluation committees headed by the DCO of the district concerned would be constituted for the monitoring of such hospitals as are providing the facility of human organs transplantation. A professor of medical college and the EDO Health, would also be the member of the committee. Monitoring and Evaluation committee would carry out surprise checks of these hospitals and send their reports to the Punjab Human Organs Transplant Authority (PHOTA). Necessary legislation would also be made for this purpose.

The decision to this effect was taken in a meeting chaired by Secretary Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Najam Ahmad Shah held here on Tuesday, according to a handout issued here. 

King Edward Medical University Vice-Chancellor Prof Faisal Masood, Special Secretary Health Dr Sajid Mahmood Chohan, Member Health Planning and Development Department Dr Shabana Haider, Additional Secretary Development (Health) Zaheer Abbas Malik, Health Specialist of P&D and the officers of Finance Department among others attended the meeting.

During the inspection of the hospital to be kept under vigilance by the monitoring and evaluation committees, it will be verified that qualified surgeons and human resources are available in the hospital. Moreover, transplantation of the same patient has been carried out which the PHOTA has given permission for. It will be mandatory for the hospital to provide photographs of the donors and the recipients and video recording of the operation to PHOTA for verification. Before discharging the patient and the donor, post operative medical checkup must be performed.

The meeting decided that a reward of one million rupees would be granted to the person, who informed the PHOTA regarding illegal human transplant activity and his name would be kept confidential. For this purpose, a hotline would also be installed. It was proposed that Rs50 million fine would be imposed on the hospital which would be found involved in any illegal transplantation activities.  The Punjab government would fully empower and strengthen the PHOTA and for this purpose proper legislation would also be carried out.