Ruby Hall Clinic’s fate to be decided tomorrow

Committee submits report on alleged malpractices in organ transplants in hospital

Ruby Hall Clinic's fate to be decided tomorrow

Committee submits report on alleged malpractices in organ transplants in hospital

In trouble: An earlier report on the hospital was not too flattering

The committee comprising four senior state health officials headed by Dr R U Kathane, assistant director of health, Maharashtra were appointed by the state government to check the records of Ruby Hall Clinic after a BJP MLA Madhuri Misal alleged in the state assembly that norms were being flouted by the hospital during organ transplants.

Refusing to speak on the contents of the report, assistant director of health services Dr C A Kante said that the committee submitted its report three days ago."We inspected all the minute details in the records and also paid a visit to the transplant centre and spoke to the people involved. After collecting data, we have submitted our confidential report and the results will be out on Tuesday in the state assembly," he said.

While he refused to divulge any details, sources in the health department said that the report might spell trouble for the hospital. "I don't think it's going to be smooth sailing for the hospital and it will be clear after Tuesday," said a source.

However Bomi Bhote, COO of Ruby Hall Clinic, maintained that the hospitals record was spotless and there was no reason to worry. "We have co-operated in inquiry and all our records are clean. We are confident of coming out innocent," he said. So far, 350 transplants have been conducted at Ruby Hall Clinic's organ transplant centre.

Past inquiry
Last December, a team of experts headed by urologist Dr Jagdish Bhavani had inspected Ruby Hall Clinic's registration records to check if it was following norms put down by the Human Organ Transplant Act; however, the committee's remarks were not too flattering. It pointed out that only 10 per cent of kidney transplants were done between unrelated patients, no scheme for free transplants was offered to BPL patients, and the brain death and other committees that reviewed and authorised transplants, had not received approval from state authority.

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