Malaysia Health Ministry investigating allegations of illegal organ transplants

The Health Ministry in Malaysia is working with the Home Ministry and police to investigate the allegation that a local hospital conspired in an illegal kidney trade. Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said, “Malaysia, being a member of the World Health Organisation and a signatory to the declaration of Istanbul on organ trafficking and transplant tourism is committed to ensure such illegal practices are not undertaken in this country.”

The Health Ministry in Malaysia is working with the Home Ministry and police to investigate the allegation that a local hospital conspired in an illegal kidney trade. Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said, “Malaysia, being a member of the World Health Organisation and a signatory to the declaration of Istanbul on organ trafficking and transplant tourism is committed to ensure such illegal practices are not undertaken in this country.”

In Malaysia, transplants from unrelated donors need to be vetted by the independent Unrelated Transplant Approval Committee before they can be carried out. Legal kidney transplants in Malaysia are carried out in Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Selayang Hospital, University Malaya Medical Centre and a few private hospitals in the Klang Valley.

Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman is seeking to distance the government from the allegation that the illegal medical tourism is happening in Malaysia, “It seems a little far-fetched that such an illegal activity, especially involving foreigners, has been carried out in any of these hospitals. However, if there is evidence that it happened, the ministry will certainly take action against those involved. The alleged transplants from unrelated foreigners from Bangladesh would have required prior approval from the ministry. Our records show that there have been no such requests or applications.” His statement is slightly misleading as if they were illegally done on a cash basis the doctors and hospitals are hardly going to be dumb enough to seek official approval.

Malaysia is only one of several countries alleged to contain hospitals and/or local doctors that have taken part in illegal organ transplant tourism. Bangladesh is involved in the trade; poor people are paid for their organs, which are then sold on to foreigners prepared to pay cash to criminals to jump the queues for transplants in their home countries. Usually, the transplant is done in a remote hospital in a third country, which means that several local doctors, medical staff and administrators are in on the deal; although transplants may be done by a surgeon from another country flown in and out quickly.

The Bangladeshi police are on the trail of an international syndicate linked to illegal kidney trade across several Southeast Asian countries. Local media reports allege that a reputable international hospital group with hospitals in several countries including Malaysia has been involved in the illegal business.

The police investigations reveal that donors from remote villages in Bangladesh were flown to hospitals in several different countries to sell their kidneys, and the kidneys are fresh for an immediate operation on an anonymous foreign patient. Basically, the donors are very poor and the recipients are well off.

Bangladeshi police have detained eight people in connection with luring poor and illiterate victims overseas for the trade. One of those arrested but not yet charged is Nafiz Mahmud a manager in Bangladesh for Columbia Asia Healthcare. In a statement he said, he has nothing to do with the illegal trade. “I have not faked the identity of any kidney donor or recipient. On the kidney transplants that took place in India, all the donors were very close kin of the organ recipients. All the donors and recipients sent abroad by me were first blood relations.” Kidney transplants are illegal in Bangladesh unless the donor is a close kin, spouse, or he or she has donated it before death.

However, the Joypurhat Superintendent of Police Mozammel Haque insists that Mahmud is involved in organ trade and cites statements of people arrested earlier in this connection, “Columbia Asia Healthcare established last year keeps in touch with doctors of hospitals abroad and arranges illegal organ transplants outside the country.” The police admit that as yet they are not clear if the syndicate used or had tacit approval from Columbia Asia Healthcare, or if people who worked for the company were involved in a private capacity.

Nafiz Mahmud acknowledged that he did not obtain any permission either from the health or home ministry to set up the organisation. He said he only possesses a trade licence. He claims that Columbia Healthcare has 34 hospitals worldwide including in India, Malaysia and Indonesia and, “My business does not involve any medical treatment. It is like tourism.” A document seized by police shows that the institution provides healthcare by specialised international doctors through videoconference.

The police so far have identified around 100 people in Joypurhat who the syndicate lured into selling organs, and claim that up to 30 people in several Asian countries-including doctors – are involved in the racket.