Bureaucrat seeking transplant of kidney finds help from Maharashtra CM

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadanvis has directed the State Authorisation Committee (SAC) of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) to reconsider its rejection of an application for kidney transplant filed by a 51-year-old bureaucrat. The bureaucrat had earlier applied for a kidney donation from the husband of a domestic help. But the SAC, which is the nodal state body approving organ donation transplants, had rejected the application allegedly because it was unclear whether the donor was agreeable to the transplant.

The Human Organ Transplantation Act states that patients can get a kidney from either a family member or an unrelated donor whose only motive is altruism and not monetary gain.

DMER joint director Dr P. Wakode told The Asian Age, “The CM has asked DMER’s SAC to reconsider the bureaucrat’s application that was earlier rejected by it. When the potential donor was queried during a preliminary verification by the SAC, he seemed to have taken a step back. When the SAC asked specific questions, we did not find that his gesture was out of love or affection. He was not a relative either.”

He added: “The organ transplant committee had doubts, while norms were also not being satisfied, and so we rejected the application for the transplant. If we have rejected an application, the party can approach the health secretary and higher authorities. We cannot stop them but we are firm on the rejection and will see what is lacking on both sides, as the CM has interceded.”

Meanwhile, state medical education minister Girish Mahajan is likely to consult SAC officials on Wednesday to take a fresh call on the application.