Indian government launches probe into alleged 'cash-for-kidney' scam in Apollo Hospital

The Indian health ministry has ordered an investigation into Apollo Hospital in Delhi following media reports linking it to a so-called 'cash-for-kidney scam'. The alleged scam links the hospital to Myanmar nationals who illegally sold their kidneys for organ transplants. The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) which comes under the Indian health ministry, has directed SB Deepak Kumar, who is Delhi's Health Secretary, to "get the matter examined, take appropriate action ... and furnish an action-taken report within a week", reported Reuters citing an official document.

Media reports quoted Kumar as saying that a committee was being formed to investigate the matter and look into details of donors and patients.

The Apollo Hospital in Delhi is part of a larger hospital chain, Apollo Hospitals, which has a sizeable presence in cities across India.

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Indraprastha Medical Corp, which manages the two hospitals situated in the Delhi region, has rejected the allegations of the scam and termed them "absolutely false, ill-informed and misleading". It has said that it has followed every legal and ethical requirement and abided by the guidelines laid down by the Government of India.

Britain's Telegraph has raised allegations that Apollo was involved in the "cash for kidneys" scandal. Telegraph reported that young people from Myanmar were being flown into Delhi and being convinced to sell their kidneys for transplant sought by rich Burmese patients.

Apollo Hospitals, the chain, is headquartered in the southern Indian city of Chennai and has more than 70 hospitals across the country. As per the data previously released by the company, the hospital chain performed 1641 organ transplants in 2022. The hospitals see many foreign patients who fly into India for medical treatments.

(With inputs from agencies)