V’wada hospital in spot for links with kidney racket

The city of Vijayawada was shocked to learn that a well-known private kidney hospital was connected to the kidney scam that has been unravelled. There are numerous allegations against the hospital regarding its involvement in cases related to the kidney racket originating from Guntur. One victim, an auto driver named Garlapati Madhu Babu from Guntur, sold his kidney due to financial difficulties and was reportedly deceived by the kidney racket.
The scandal came to light after the victim, Madhu Babu, filed a complaint with Guntur Superintendent of Police (SP) Tushar Dudi on Monday. Upon the SP’s directive, the Guntur police, supervised by DSP Mahesh, initiated an investigation on Tuesday.
Several kidney specialists have established hospitals in Vijayawada to advance their practices. However, some of these doctors allegedly maintained ties with the kidney racket to further their interests. As part of this connection with the racket, Garlapati Madhu Babu recently visited a renowned kidney hospital in Vijayawada for transplantation.
The transplantation took place at the hospital in Vijayawada on June 15. However, Madhu Babu, who sold his kidney to alleviate his financial burden, did not receive the promised amount of Rs. 30 lakh. Upon realising that he had been deceived by the kidney racket, he filed a complaint with the Guntur SP.
Madhu Babu alleged that he had been cheated of Rs. 30 lakh after selling his kidney to repay debts accrued through loan apps. He claimed that the doctor had colluded with the racket and cheated him. Although he was promised Rs. 30 lakh, he only received Rs.50,000.
Madhu Babu had taken substantial loans from various mobile applications and local financiers and was under immense pressure to repay them. In his desperation, he came across a Facebook post promising significant earnings for kidney donations. Despite knowing the illegality of selling organs, Madhu Babu contacted the individual who had posted the advertisement.
Subsequently, a woman from Vijayawada contacted Madhu and shared her experience of donating a kidney and receiving the promised payment. She introduced Madhu to the brother-in-law of the kidney recipient and Dr. Venkatesh, a doctor at a private hospital in Vijayawada.
Since November of last year, Madhu Babu has been visiting the hospital regularly for medical tests and consultations. He interacted with the patient’s family, who provided him with small amounts of money for travel and medical expenses. Before the surgery, Madhu Babu was given Rs. 50,000 in cash and assured that the remaining amount would be paid post-surgery.
The kidney transplant took place on June 15 at a hospital in Vijayawada. To facilitate the procedure, Madhu Babu’s name and address were altered on his Aadhar card and other identity documents, making it appear as if he was donating his kidney as a relative of the patient. Madhu Babu also accused the doctors of removing his right kidney instead of the left one, which had been agreed upon before the surgery.
Kidney transplantation conducted following rules: Dr Sarath Babu
Meanwhile, Dr G Sarath Babu, a kidney transplantation specialist and the head of Saraths Institute of Nephrology and Urology, stated that there was no truth in the allegations against his institution. He emphasised that they conducted kidney transplantation surgeries in compliance with government rules and regulations.
Dr Sarath Babu also clarified that they had recently conducted kidney transplantation under the Arogya Sri scheme, following approval from the official committee. He further stated that all their kidney transplantations were conducted transparently and without any financial irregularities, citing a recent transplantation conducted for a patient from Krishna district.