Apollo Hospitals building processes to eliminate malpractice: Preetha Reddy

More external experts added to group's authorisation committee, after its alleged connection with the organ sale racket

Apollo Hospitals is strengthening processes to eliminate the likelihood of incidents similar to the organ sale racket which was busted recently in Delhi, said Apollo Hospitals Executive Vice Chairperson Preetha Reddy.

Speaking in the sidelines of launch of the Centre for Colorectal Diseases based in the Chennai medical institution of Apollo Hospitals Group, she said, "We have strengthened our authorisation committee by adding more external experts. We have set up one more comittee to go through the whole system." She added that it was not the staff of the hospital who were allegedly involved in the racket.

It may be recalled that the police had arrested the personal secretaries of some doctors working in Indraprastha Medical Corporation Limited (Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals) for alleged connection with the racket.

"Only thing we can do is to make it tighter than what was there," she said. "We realise that it is a problem, which is like somebody making a fake document like a passport, so we have to work on it," she added.

Earlier, Indraprastha Medical Corporation has said that it has constituted an independent inquiry committee to look into the matter. The hospital has invited eminent jurist, Justice Mukul Mudgal, former Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court to head the committee who will be accompanied by forensic expert, N C Sood along with an eminent medical professional.

The hospital, in order to ensure compliance with the law and diligence in process, has an independent body (with external members also) for according consent for any transplant surgery, said the company earlier. "This committee goes through all documents necessary to ensure that requirements under the Act are complied with. Further, the hospital has ensured that all due process in line with the law has been followed," it added.