KARACHI, May 27: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Karachi on Sunday welcomed crackdown on some hospitals in Lahore and Rawalpindi allegedly involved in illegal trade of human kidneys and asked the government to rout this menace from the country by enacting comprehensive law against human organ trade.

PMA Karachi General Secretary Dr Qaiser Sajjad said that the PMA had been pointing out since long about illegal activities of human organ trade mostly in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

He said that Masood Hospital, and Shafi Hospital were notorious for cruel human organ trade. He pointed out that these hospitals were even running their advertisements over the internet to lure foreign kidney patients to buy cheap kidneys in Pakistan.

He said that due to these shameful activities the image of Pakistan had been tarnished in the world and it was called a kidney tourism destination.

He said that a whole mafia including surgeons, paramedics and middlemen were involved in this inhuman trade and they made millions and billions by selling human organs, especially kidneys. He said that the government fully knew about their activities, but it used to turn a blind eye to this, as some big fishes were also involved in it.

He said that PMA appreciated this action and demanded of the government to completely eliminate the kidney trade from the country. Dr Sajjad urged the government to enact a comprehensive law in the light of suggestions of the SIUT, which were also endorsed by the PMA.—PPI