LAHORE, May 30: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has directed the inspector general of police to act against the elements involved in illegal kidney trade across Punjab, according to Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Malik Iqbal.

He told Dawn on Wednesday the chief minister had taken strict note of a report that some people had been forced to sell their organs.

He said the chief minister had asked IG Ahmed Naseem to take action against the doctors and people involved in the organ trade and monitor suspected hospitals and clinics in the province.

Police on last Friday arrested the owners of Masood Hospital, Kalama Chowk, and Shafi Hospital, Iqbal Town, for their alleged involvement in kidney business besides and rescued 10 ‘forced donors’ from the house of a middleman. The accused were sent on judicial remand and on Wednesday their bail was cancelled.

The CCPO said police had come to know about the involvement of some other private hospitals and clinics in organ trade and their owners would be arrested after gathering evidence. He said raids were being carried out to arrest the owners of Rashid Hospital (Lahore) and Fatima Hospital (Multan) and investigators were also trying to break the network of the organ mafia.

Also, 10 people, including a woman, trapped by Ijaz and kept at a residential quarter in Kot Lakhpat are staying at the Factory Area police station. Investigation officer Salamat Ali said they were staying there for testimony.

One of the victims, Muhammad Ijaz from Khanewal came to Lahore for work.

“I got construction work in Bhati Gate where my namesake made friends with me. One day, he asked me to visit a shrine in Multan. Instead of going to the shrine he took me to the Fatima Hospital where doctors operated upon me and removed my kidney. Ijaz promised to pay me Rs65,000 but on return to Lahore he detained me at his quarter where seven other people were also kept.”

Nasir left Karachi along with his wife Saba for Lahore as they wanted to earn their livelihood in the city of Data Ganj Bakhsh.

They got a job as construction worker in Bhati Gate where Ijaz took them to his residence and detained them there.

“We are lucky police caught him before he got removed our kidneys,” Saba said. The hospitals where kidney transplant is carried out, do not have trained staff, proper theatre and equipment, which often results in creating post-operation complications in both the recipient and the donor. No renal status and other diseases of the donor are investigated before removing his kidney.