Illegal kidney transplants: Private hospitals and labs in Islamabad under scrutiny

Private hospitals and laboratories are under scrutiny after illegal kidney transplants were revealed by the federal government, as reported by the media on Tuesday.

According to a report by Geo News, federal authorities stated that they found two private hospitals involved in illegal kidney transplants, with 95% of illegal transplant cases related to a private hospital located in G8 Markaz of the federal capital.

The report also mentions that a hospital located on Peshawar Road is involved in illegal kidney transplants, while one private laboratory and officials from the Federal Human Organ Transplant Authority are also implicated in the illegal transplants being carried out.

Authorities have stated that they received 22 requests from private hospitals related to kidney transplants, but all of those requests were illegal. The private hospitals and laboratories were also forging laboratory reports and other documents.

According to a statement by the authorities, as cited by the media, hospitals and laboratories used fake reports to declare the close relatives of patients as unable to undergo transplantations. All the operations carried out in Islamabad involve patients from KPK and Punjab.

The hospitals and laboratories target wealthy patients from dialysis centers, convincing them to undergo illegal kidney transplants. The poor individuals who sell their kidneys receive only a few hundred thousand rupees, while the hospitals and laboratories make millions through illegal activities. The case is being referred to the FIA.