Not only did Dr BK Kadam, the state official, clear the illegal transplant without realising the paperwork was bogus, but he did not even ask the donor and recipient any questions for verification
Over a month after the kidney racket came to light, the health minister has ordered a probe into alleged lapses by the state official who signed off on an illegal kidney transplant.
Dr Sujit Chatterjee and four other Hiranandani doctors were yesterday released on bail. Pic/Atul Kamble
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The official in the dock is Dr BK Kadam, assistant director of Health Services (Medicine), who was part of the four-member panel that cleared the transplant that was halted midway on July 14, when the entire scam was busted by the police.
Not only did the panel fail to realise that the donor and recipient had presented bogus documents, but investigations indicate that Dr Kadam didn’t ask them proper questions either. Talking to mid-day, state Health Minister Dr Deepak Sawant said, “The recording of the interview was taken on phone, though it is compulsory to record it on a video recorder. I have asked for an inquiry into the matter. We will not spare anyone if found guilty of any kind of negligence.”
Future course
The health ministry has now decided to preserve the videos of all interviews with donors and recipients for two years. “We will keep the videos for two years from the time of donation and keep tabs on the donors. After two years of donation, we will check on the donor so that we can be assured of their real identity,” said Minister Deepak Sawant.
What of Dr Kadam?
Dr BK Kadam has received transfer orders to head to Nashik to take charge of new duties as Medical Superintendent of the Nanded (rural) hospital. Asked about the sudden transfer, he claimed that he had requested to be transferred to his hometown so he could spend a few years working there before his retirement. But the new posting depends on the recommendations of the DHS committee, which will today submit its report on his role, if any, in the kidney racket. Dr Kadam said, “My questioning went on for approximately an hour. I was asked around 14 to 15 questions verbally and was also given an equal number of questions to answer in writing. I have narrated everything I know. The entire procedure of questioning was recorded by a videographer.”
He added that he was satisfied with the process and his answers, however, mid-day’s sources revealed that the DHS is far from satisfied, since he did not ask a single question to the donor and recipient during their interview.
A senior police officer, purview to the investigation said, “We are waiting for the DHS committee report and accordingly we will be calling for questioning.”
— With inputs from Vinod Kumar Menon
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