The child whose kidney was allegedly removed at a government hospital in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 8: Father of a four-year-old boy today alleged that a government hospital in Cuttack removed his son’s kidney without his knowledge.

The complainant, Jogi Das, father of Rudra, who is a Ganga Nagar resident, alleged that the operation had taken place in October last year and lodged a police complaint.

“My son started complaining of abdomen pain in September last year. We conducted various tests and doctors told me that he had developed a tumour near his kidney. They also apprised me of the fact that my son could be afflicted with cancer and he needed an operation for removal of tumour. Later, I admitted him to government-run Sishu Bhavan in Cuttack,” said Jogi.

At present, Jogi, who works as a daily wage labourer, resides at Ganga Nagar and has three daughters and one son.

He alleged that taking advantage of his ignorance, the doctors at Sishu Bhavan had operated on Rudra and later they took away the right kidney of his son.

“During consultation, the doctors told us that the tumour was located near the kidney and operated on Rudra. But a few days ago, my son again complained of abdominal pain. When I conducted fresh tests, I was told that his right kidney was missing,” alleged Jogi.

“We are illiterate, and we trusted the doctors. How could we know whether my son had developed cancer or not? We, therefore, agreed to the operation. I have spent all my earnings for my son’s treatment. I do not have enough money to take him to hospital again for better treatment,” said Jogi.

Authorities of Sishu Bhavan hospital, however, refuted the allegations levelled by Jogi. “We never conduct any surgery without the consent of the guardian of a patient,” said Sishu Bhavan superintendent Niranjan Mohanty.

On the other hand, while the father insisted that he had submitted his complaint to Khandagiri police, inspector in-charge of the police station Aseem Panda denied the claim.

The hospital falls in the Lalbag police station jurisdiction in Cuttack. The hospital, too, maintained that they had not received any complaint so far.

Four incidents of kidney theft were reported from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar this year. In the first incident of a kidney sale racket, a woman from Cuttack in May had alleged that she was promised Rs 2.5 lakh for donating her kidney, but she was paid only Rs 50,000 following kidney transplant at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar in April.

The police had also arrested Sarmistha Nayak, the kingpin of kidney sale racket, after the first incident came to light.