Govt forms new committee for human organ transplant in Rajasthan

JAIPUR: Almost 50 days after the organ transplant NOC scam was unearthed by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB), the state govt issued a notification on Thursday, forming a new state-level authorisation committee under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA), 1994. The principal and controller of Sawai Man Singh Medical College will serve as the chairman of this committee, additional chief secretary (medical education) Shubhra Singh said.

The committee will include Dr Narpat Singh Shekhawat, former superintendent of Sawai Man Singh Hospital; Dr B L Yadav, professor of general surgery at SMS Hospital; Dr Ashok Sharda, former president of the Indian Medical Association, Rajasthan branch; Seema Daya of Seva Bharati Rajasthan; as well as the secretary of the medical education department and the director of public health.

The TOI had highlighted the issue that the medical education department had declared that the 2023 merger of the advisory and authorisation committees had violated the law in its internal report to the govt.

Panel members to be announced soon

The state government will now separate the two. On Thursday evening, the medical education department issued the notification to separate both committees.

The state government will soon announce the new advisory committee members, said an official familiar with the development.

On April 18, 2023, the medical education department had issued an order forming an advisory-cum-state-level authorisation committee with Dr Rajiv Bagarhatta as the chairperson.

The ongoing probe into the scam pertaining to fake no-objection certificate (NoC) in organ transplant cases has revealed evasion of accountability by private hospitals in obtaining NoCs from SMS Medical College.