PANJIM: In a significant reflection of the manner in which health services function in Goa, Dr Venkatesh, who provides dialysis services at 2 Government Hospitals in South Goa, successfully with zero mortality since 2003, has asked the Governor, the Human Rights Commission, the State health department to stop the health department from selecting a tainted and indicted doctor to run dialysis services in Goa through a tender process.

In his letter to the Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, with copies to the State Human Rights Commission and the Health department, he has stated, “DHS had gone ahead of the Tender Process and selected the following bidders as L1-Apex Kidney Care, L2-Nephroplus and L3-DCDC against the norms of the Tender condition of disqualifying the Tainted and Accused companies. The selected company namely Apex Kidney Care’s founder director has been accused and charge sheeted by the Mumbai Police for being involved in stealing the kidneys from innocent and poor people and transplanting to rich recipients’.

Significantly, Dr Venkatesh in his letter mentions that the same issue is being adjudicated in the High Court, in a petition filed by him.

Press reports of the alleged kidney racket run by the doctor, visuals of he being taken into police custody and a copy of the indictment filed against him in the Mumbai.

He has also mentioned and alleged that of the other two companies, one is involved in huge fund raising and the other doesn’t have a three year experience as per tender norms.