The administration of Mediheal Group of Hospitals in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, has refuted allegations that they were involved in Kidney trafficking.
Through their legal team led by Senior Counsel Katwa Kigen, the hospital termed such claims as untrue and lacking no ground, adding that they provide kidney transplant services together with other forms of high-end surgeries like open heart surgery, and neuro-spinal surgery among others, while adhering to the best international ethical and professional standards.
“We are not involved in any organ trafficking or taking part in any syndicate, we are not involved in any criminal enterprise related to issues of kidney transplants,” Kigen noted
He indicated that all that they do is to provide medical services pertaining to the transplants, without involvement on how the recipients and donors meet and agree, adding that the hospital only receives and offers kidney patients medical services, and that the only money they get is service charges for the entire procedure.
“We are ready to provide any information based on the legal provisions in place regarding to doctor-patient confidentiality and data protection,” explained the Senior Counsel.
Kigen pointed out that they are ready to cooperate with the public, all security agencies, medical boards, auxiliary medical institutions and any other tissue transplant committees together with the ministry of health if they want to know anything on what the hospital is doing relating to handling kidney transplants
He emphasized that they are ready to provide any information and data on kidney transplants contrary to false information spread to the public that the hospital has no records and data pertaining kidney transplant operations. He termed such claims as baseless and devised to tarnish the image of the hospital.
The hospital administration also insisted that there is no discreet affair as related to the allegations over organ trafficking, noting that the patients come in three ways; doctors’ reference which Mediheal counterchecks if is valid, with family members explaining the situation of the patient seeking transplant and the hospital determining through their own examination that a certain patient requires the procedure.
“There is no case of a non- African coming to the hospital to receive organs from Kenyans, we have been audited by quality assurance and institutions governing tissue transplants, Mediheal offers world-class kidney transplant employing laparoscopic technology systems,” said Kigen.
Dr. Swarup Mishra, the founder of the hospital underscored that they are keen to provide international standard, affordable medical care while focusing on preventive health, health education, and research.
He noted that they have been responsive and innovative in providing specialized healthcare services especially on kidney transplants at affordable rates compared to other hospitals in developed countries thus attracting international patients from countries such as Israel, Germany, U.S.A, and Somalia among others.
“We made services affordable and cost effective in our hospital looking at socio-economic strata in Africa,” he noted.
Dr. Mishra revealed that the hospital has never been linked to any case of kidney transplant fraud, noting that they conduct their transplant procedures ethically with prior consent from the donors and their verified next of kin.
The hospital founder affirmed that they have conducted a total of 476 kidney transplants since 2018 when they obtained operation license from the government and that the mortality rate is less than two percent.
“We have had only 10 mortalities in six years, which occurred post operation due to other morbidities like anaphylaxis over reaction to anesthesia, this is lower compared to world’s recommended mortality rates. We acknowledge these are high risk medical operations but we undertake them using high end laparoscopy technology,” explained Dr. Mishra.
He called on the members of the public to be patient as the committee on inquiry completes investigations on the kidney trafficking allegations after which the report will be made public.
On her part, the hospital’s Vice President, Operations, Maryline Limo, decried the extent to which the accusations have paralyzed the hospital’s operations due to tarnished public image. She noted that the operations have gone down drastically leading to job losses of over 2000 employees.
– By Ekuwam Sylvester & Fredrick Maritim
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