Stealing of Human Organ
12 July, 2006
By Syed A. Mateen
Mohammad Kashif, a resident and shopkeeper of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Karachi, after feeling pain in his abdomen consulted different doctors and after having several medical tests, he was told by the doctors that stones had developed in his gal-bladder.
The doctors advised him to get his gal-bladder removed. He went to a private hospital in Block-L, North Nazimabad, where he was under treatment of Dr Syed Kashif Mateen. The patient and his family were told that the operation of removal of his gal-bladder would take 90 minutes, but its duration stretched to four-and-a-half hours. After the operation, patient's family was shown a gal-bladder containing stones.
After few days he was discharged from the hospital. The patient again felt pain and went to the doctor. Being dissatisfied with the treatment, he consulted with other doctors, who suggested him to go for another round of medical tests. After receiving the medical reports, he came to know that he was deprived of his one kidney, whereas the affected gal-bladder was intact in its original place.
After it was confirmed by the medical reports, the patient went to the Taimuria police station and got an FIR (280/06) registered under section 334/406 of the PPC against the concerned surgeon and his paramedics staff, as he believed that they were responsible for stealing his kidney. After completing MBBS from a medical college, doctors take following oath:
"In the name of Allah, Most Gracious & Merciful: (1) I solemnly pledge that I shall abide by the principles laid down in the Code of Medical Ethics of the Pakistan Medical Council; (2). I further make solemn declaration that: I consecrate my life to the service of humanity; I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude which is their due; I will practice my profession with conscience dignity and fear of God; The health of any patient will be my first consideration; I will respect the secrets, which are confided in me; I will maintain by all the means in my power, the honour and the noble traditions of the medical profession; My colleagues will be my brothers and sisters; I will not permit consideration of religion, nationality, race, party politics and social standings to intervene between my duty and my patient; I will maintain the utmost respect, for human life from the time of conception; even under threat, and will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity; and I make these promises solemnly, freely upon my honour".
The doctor who performed the operation of the patient did not keep his words of oath and removed his right kidney, instead of removing the gal bladder, probably, for selling Mohammad Kashif's kidney to some other patient, locally or abroad, as the cost of a kidney in the international market is US $18,000/-
The government should constitute a medical board to ascertain the facts that how the kidney of Mohammad Kashif was removed and under what circumstances? This can be done by interviewing the doctor who performed the operation and in the light of the statements of the paramedic staff. If the doctor is found guilty of stealing patient's kidney with the help of paramedic staff of the private hospital, the doctor and his paramedic staff should be severely punished for the crime they have committed.
The police should investigate the fact that if the concerned doctor and his paramadic staff was in any way invloved in smuggling the human organs abroad.
The affected patient should be thoroughly examined by the medical board whether he can survive for rest of his life on a single kidney, otherwise arrangements should be made to transplant the reguired kidney at government's expense, in order to save patient's life. The owner of the hospital who does not deserve to the run the hospital for the common benefit of the patients, and hence the concerned hospital should be sealed and the patients should be transferred to some other reliable hospital.
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