LAHORE, May 25: Police on Friday detained two owners of private hospitals and some doctors in Lahore for their alleged involvement in illegal kidney trade, besides ‘recovering’ 10 victims (donors).

Though a senior police officer has shown reluctance to divulge their names saying that it will be premature to do so without carrying out thorough investigation, sources privy to the investigation say that managements of Masood Hospital at Kalma Chowk, Rashid Hospital in Garden Town and Shafi Hospital in Iqbal Town have been accused of running the heinous business.

Capital City Police Officer Malik Iqbal told Dawn that on a tip off a police team raided a house in Liaquatabad and recovered 10 people who were detained there for the purpose (removal of their kidneys).

Two of them had already been operated upon, he said, adding that two people who were guarding them had also been arrested.

“We hope that with the help of the arrested guards we will soon reach the perpetrators.”

Mr Iqbal said the police had taken the owners of the private hospitals and doctors into custody on the complaints of the victims.

“It is a very serious matter and we can't arrest the (accused) doctors formally without solid evidence,” he added.

The victims, most of them from Sheikhupura and Nankana districts, told police a man had promised to get them work in Lahore.

On their arrival, he along with his accomplices detained them in a house in Liaquatabad.

They took two of them to the said hospitals and got removed their kidneys. Earlier, the accused had promised to pay Rs65,000 each of the two ‘unwilling donors’ but they did not give them a penny.

The CCPO said that Shekhupura SP (investigation) Zaeem Iqbal had been made an OSD in connection with this trade.

The illegal organ trade is on the rise in Punjab.

Private hospitals and clinics involved in the removal and transplant of kidneys are making millions daily without any hindrance.

The health ministries have so far been expressing their inability to initiate action against unscrupulous elements in the absence of any legal framework.

On the other hand, extreme poverty is compelling people to sell their organs. Private hospitals offer between Rs50,000 and Rs100,000 to each donor.

Such health facilities charge between Rs250,000 and 600,000 from a recipient for transplantation.

They charge up to Rs1 million and above in case the recipient is a foreigner.

Such hospitals reportedly do not even have trained staff, proper theatres and latest instruments, which often result in creating post-operation complications in the recipients.

No renal status and other diseases of a donor have been investigated before removing his kidney.

If a donor is not medically fit, his kidney cannot be removed for transplantation but this fact holds a little importance for the people involved in this business.