By IANS
Hyderabad : A young woman who had donated one of her kidneys to her ailing father has alleged that doctors at the government-run Osmania General Hospital here replaced the kidney with that of someone else.
M. Radhika, 21, made the allegation as the kidney she donated to her father M. Venkateswarlu, 40, failed three days after the transplant operation.
Pointing out that pre-transplantation tests had established 100 percent compatibility, she is questioning how the kidney donated by her could fail. "Doctors cheated us. My kidney was given to someone else," she told reporters.
M. Venkateswarlu, a resident of Illendu in Khammam district, about 250 km from Hyderabad, had been suffering from kidney failure for few years. He was admitted to the Osmania General Hospital three months ago. Since both his kidneys had failed, Radhika offered to donate one of her kidneys.
The woman claimed that all pre-transplantation reports showed that her kidney would be compatible and the transplantation was done June 11. However, three days later, doctors informed them that the transplanted kidney had developed complications and stopped functioning. They later removed the transplanted kidney.
However, the father and daughter suspect foul play.
"The doctors may have transplanted a kidney from a dead body in me, and transplanted my daughter's kidney to someone else," said Venkateswarlu, who has four daughters.
Osmania Hospital Superintendent Girish Narayan, however, said such complications develop in one percent of the patients who undergo transplantation and compatibility had nothing to do with it.
He said the hospital was exploring the option of a second transplantation for Venkateswarlu, who is now getting free dialysis.
Narayan added that the allegations had demoralized the doctors. Following the incident, surgeons at Osmania Hospital have postponed kidney surgeries.
Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has ordered a probe into the allegation. Several politicians are demanding a compensation of Rs.500,000 for Venkateswarlu.
Osmania General Hospital is one of the biggest government hospitals in the state. Located on the banks of the river Musi, the hospital was built in 1925 by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the then ruler of Hyderabad State.