Organ harvesters on govt’s radar

Four Omani nationals among 13 arrested for illegal kidney transplants

LAHORE:

A meeting of the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority (PHOTA), chaired by Caretaker Provincial Health Minister Dr Javed Akram, on Wednesday agreed to expedite crackdown against organ harvester to check illegal organs trade in Punjab.

Dr Akram reviewed the performance of PHOTA over the past three months in detail and DG Professor Anwar and his team delivered briefings to the Caretaker Provincial Health Minister. On this occasion, Dr Akram appreciated PHOTA’s performance and was satisfied that the body was doing its part to prevent the illegal transplantation of human organs across the province.

The minister lauded the indiscriminate action taken by the PHOTA vigilance cell against illegal organ harvesters and expressed gratitude to the FIA and Punjab Police for their cooperation against elements involved in the illegal organ trade. There is a need to strengthen coordination with the FIA and Punjab Police to curb the elements involved in illegal transplantation of human organs, Dr Akram reiterated.

Meanwhile, Dr Shahid Rasheed was arrested and nominated in three cases over illegally arranging a kidney transplant with Dr Shoaib and forced him to go to Mingora and Swat. Similarly, Dr Fawad Mumtaz was named in various cases of organ harvesting, for which a trial is ongoing in Rawalpindi. Dr Mumtaz was caught illegally removing the kidney of Basir Khan. Separately, Saqib Ali was arrested by Rawalpindi police after allegedly removing the kidney of a person named Azam.

The PHOTA Vigilance Cell, with the support of FIA Islamabad, caught 4 Omani nationals involved in illegal kidney transplants in Bahria Town Rawalpindi. Saqib Ali, Shaista Mumtaz and Fauzia Kausar were arrested, while Dr Zahid, Dr Athar Geelani, Dr Abdul Latif, Nurse Syed Israr Hussain Shah, Nurse Rashid Mahmood, Oxygen Operator Shahzad Lataf, Lab Technician Shah Nawaz, Lab Technician Muhammad Imran Qasim and Ward Boy Muhammad Asim were also arrested for their involvement in illegal transplants.

PHOTA Director General Professor Shehzad Anwar, Deputy Director Vigilance Cell Adnan Ahmed Bhatti and other officers participated in the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2023.