Chennai, Aug 25 (IANS): The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Department to produce a formal order cancelling the renal transplant licence of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital, Perambalur, amid allegations of its involvement in an illegal kidney sale racket.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh issued the direction after the institution challenged only a press release dated August 10, which announced the licence cancellation. The judge observed that the release merely conveyed the government’s decision based on an inquiry committee’s findings and questioned whether a formal cancellation order had been issued.
Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran told the court that such an order had indeed been passed following the press statement and assured it would be submitted by Thursday (August 28).
The inquiry panel, set up by the Health Department, had recommended revoking the licences of both Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Cethar Hospital in Tiruchi. It also called for criminal proceedings against brokers involved in the racket, after detecting fake documents used for kidney transplants.
The committee flagged serious lapses by district- and state-level organ transplant authorisation committees, whose officials allegedly cleared forged papers forwarded to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME&R).
It further recommended reconstituting these committees and framing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for live donor transplants. Suggestions included allowing online interviews for recipients unable to appear in person before district panels, printing transplant forms in both Tamil and English for clarity, and adopting stricter safeguards against document manipulation.
The High Court will hear the matter again on Thursday, when the government is expected to present the cancellation order for judicial review.
