City doctors wary of surgeries

City doctors will not be undertaking any new surgery or transplant for at least a week till the health ministry reforms the existing norms so that doctors are relieved from the responsibility of verifying documents.

Urologist Dr Shrikant Badwe, the president of Mumbai Urology Society, said, \"Doctors do not want to be held responsible for incomplete paper work. Earlier, as and when the authorisation committee of a hospital sanctioned the papers, doctors would conduct new surgeries. Verification of documents is not our work and we have urged the state health minister to reform the existing norms. He has demanded a week's time; till then, we will not conduct any new surgery.\"

However, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had warned the doctors that if they did not undertake surgery, they would face action.\"

City nephrologists and urologists had held a meeting with state health minister Dr Deepak Sawant on Saturday, who assured the doctors of a solution within a week. Nephrologist Dr Shrirang Bichu, said, \"Our community is stunned by the doctors' arrests. The minister has assured us of a solution. We are awaiting the health minister's decision on norms; till then we will not conduct operations. Whatever treatments are required will be given.\"

The sections under which the arrested doctors were charged primarily dealt with negligence in authenticating documents and commercial gain through illegal organ transplants.

Doctors raised issues pertaining to the protection of doctors from being “framed” in illegal transplant cases. The main demand was to free them from the responsibility of verifying documents submitted for organ transplants.

Almost 200 doctors, attached with Mumbai Nephrologist Group, and 300 doctors, members of the Mumbai Urology Society, have decided not to carry out new kidney transplants.