April 15, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 8, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 14: The Federal Investigation Agency has declined to provide help to the Human Organs Transplant Authority (HOTA) in looking into unethical human organs trade, citing jurisdictional restrictions.

President Pervez Musharraf had promulgated an ordinance last year banning human organs trade, but the trade continues because of lack of proper enforcement and lacuna in the law that does not completely proscribe donations by unrelated people.

The HOTA, set up under the Transplantation of Human and Tissues Ordinance 2007 to regulate transplant-related matters, had last month sought FIA’s help in investigating allegations against certain medical institutions. But, the agency refused to entertain the request saying the FIA act did not permit it to look into such crimes.

The transplant authority, acting on the advice of the law ministry, has now decided to investigate on its own the complaints against two hospitals-Kidney Center Rawalpindi and Adil Hospital Lahore.

A source in the health ministry said that a special committee would be formed by HOTA for the purpose this week to collect evidences against the hospitals and decide about the legal course to be adopted.

One of the institutions has already admitted before health ministry officials to have undertaken unrelated transplants.

However, it escaped suspension of recognition by HOTA, one of the legal requirements for hospitals to remain operational.

This was seen as slackness on the part of the regulatory body to firmly deal with violators and a call was made for innovative strategies to tackle the problem and greater transparency in the working of the regulator.

The law permits strict punitive actions against those involved in the trade of human organs.