The illegal trade of human organs would be checked:Minister Health

Lahore: The illegal trade of transplantation of human organs would be checked at any cost and deterrent punishment would be awarded to the elements involved in this heinous crime under Punjab Human Organs and Tissue Transplant Act 2012. Necessary legislation would also be carried-out in this regard.

This was stated by the Minister Health Punjab Khalil Tahir Sindhu while presiding over the first meeting of Provincial Monitoring Authority established under Punjab Human Organs and Tissue Transplant Act 2012 at King Edward Medical University here on Monday. Besides, Secretary Health Hassan Iqbal, Vice Chancellor KEMU Prof. Dr. Faisal Masood, Additional Secretary Health(Tech) Dr. Anwar Janjua, representative of Pakistan Medical Association Dr. Izhar Chaudhary, Prof. Riaz Tasleem of Punjab Healthcare Commission, Deputy Secretary Home Department Waqar Hassan, Prof. Imtiaz Akhtar, Prof. Nadeem Butt, Prof. Aziz-ur-Rehman and other members of the authority attended the meeting. The meeting unanimously nominated Prof. Faisal Masood as acting administrator of the authority.

The meeting decided that the office of the Provincial Monitoring Authority will be established at KEMU for the convenience of general public and any aggrieved person can approach the authority. The meeting also discussed different proposals and procedure for establishing regional and divisional authorities. The Provincial Monitoring Authority has the mandate to monitor transplantation and enforce prescribed standards for recognized medical institutions and hospitals. The authority can investigate and hold inquiry into the allegations of breach of any provision of this act. The meeting decided that the hospitals/ medical institutions conducting human organs transplantation as well as new institutions would be registered under Punjab Human Organs and Tissue Transplant Act 2012. Provincial Monitoring Authority has given six months to apply for registration of the existing and new medical institutions for this purpose. The Health Department Punjab would give advertisement in the newspapers for inviting applications from such institutions.

Talking to the media, the Minister said that the main purpose of establishment of Provincial Monitoring Authority under Punjab Human Organs and Tissue Transplant Act 2012 is to curb the illegal trade of human organs. He said that this heinous crime creating fear in the society because the criminals forcibly remove the organs after kidnapping the people. Khalil Tahir Sindhu said that he will recommend the government to enhance the punishment for the said crime as the government did in the acid-throwing cases.