LNP – Ongoing kidney racket revealed

Medical Administrator and Health and Mass Media Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe revealed today that there was an ongoing kidney racket in the country by several individuals from India selling kidneys for up to Rs. 3 million.

Addressing the media at the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital during a ceremony to mark National Organ Donor Day, he said that these individuals primarily target poor families in local tea plantations. Â

He pointed out that the kidney transplant method used in this racket is completely unethical and illegal.Â

“As far as I know, a kidney is being sold at a price range between Rs. 2 million and Rs. 3 million,” he added. Â

“In response to this ongoing racket, we have planned to implement kidney transplants in a proper and legal manner with the support of professional doctors. Two key decisions have been made: to continue with the existing deceased-donor programme and to ethically streamline the live-donor programme in the country,” Dr. Jasinghe said. Â

“Even though efforts have been made to streamline the live donor programme based on ethical principles, it cannot be done in a safe manner under the current circumstances. When I was the Director General of Health Services, no kidney transplants were performed for foreigners in private hospitals. At that time, we implemented the programme in private hospitals by establishing separate ethical committees in those institutions,” he explained. Â

“After setting up these ethical committees, we discovered that a kidney racket was in operation. Later, the Health Services Department made it mandatory for all CEOs of private hospitals to be part of these ethical committees. However, despite these measures, the ongoing kidney racket has not been fully controlled,” he said. Â

Dr. Jasinghe highlited that a kidney transplant policy was implemented in 2019, but the country still lacks a national registry for kidney donors and recipients. He said that Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has been informed about this issue. Â

“We have eleven hospitals with facilities for kidney transplants. There should be a proper coordination mechanism to ensure that transplants are carried out in a legal and ethical manner,” he added.