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Another UK-Indian doctor accused of selling kidneys

A second Indian doctor based in the United Kingdom has been accused of trafficking in human organs.

Jarnail Singh of Hillfields Health Centre, Coventry, who is alleged to have advised sick patients eager to jump the National Health Services queues that despite a ban on the sale of human organs in India, they can buy kidneys from impoverished live donors for £3,000, will appear before the General Medical Council in October.

The Council is also hearing the charge against Dr Bhagat Makkar -- accused of trying to sell a kidney of an Indian donor.

Both doctors, who were targeted in a sting operation by The Sunday Times, have allegedly breached the GMC's 1992 guidelines on transplants and the Human Organ Transplant Act of 1989.

Although the GMC committee rejected an appeal on Thursday to have the taped evidence of the conversations between Dr Makkar and undercover journalist Paul Samrai thrown out on the grounds of entrapment, it questioned the honesty of the investigation.

According to the Times daily, it was revealed that Samrai had a conviction for passport fraud. The freelance journalist was sentenced to three years in prison, which was reduced to two on appeal in 1994.

The hearing was told that the information about the journalist's past could bring into question the "honesty and veracity of his quotes".

Taking the witness stand on the second day of the tribunal, Dr Makkar told the GMC that at his age it was common to forget what he was saying.

He said he was unable to explain why he had allegedly told a client that it would be no problem to arrange for a kidney. "I would rather kill myself than do that sort of thing. My mind went totally blank. I was tired. I wish I could explain... Sometimes at this age you forget things."

He said he was under the impression that in some parts of the world, people were willing to donate one healthy kidney for free.

PTI

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