Handling of Madanapalle Kidney Case Under Scrutiny; DMO Suspended
Annamayya’s district collector and SP submitted reports to the government citing lapses in the inquiry by the district medical officer Dr K Lakshminarasayya.
Tirupati:The handling of the illegal kidney transplant case at a private hospital in Madanapalle has come under scrutiny after discrepancies emerged between the health department's initial inquiry and facts that surfaced during the subsequent investigation.
The health department's initial inspection report stated that there was no evidence of a criminal offence; and subsequent action was limited to suspension of the hospital’s licence. However, the investigations brought out details of the unauthorised kidney transplant and the involvement of a racket. This raised questions over the findings of the initial inquiry.
Annamayya’s district collector and SP submitted reports to the government citing lapses in the inquiry by the district medical officer Dr K Lakshminarasayya. His report had stated that there was no ground to establish a crime -- despite the evidence that surfaced later.
The issue turned more serious. The hospital was sealed during the investigation and subsequently reopened following a high court order based on the DMO's report. According to the government, facts that had emerged during the sealing process were not fully brought to the notice of the high court by the concerned health official.
The government took note of the differences between the initial inspection findings and the developments that followed. It also questioned the handling of the case by the DMO during its initial stages. The director of public health later forwarded a report to the government incorporating the recommendations of the collector and SP, who had sought disciplinary action against the DMO. After examining the reports and other material, the government suspended Lakshminarasayya.
The case came to light in November 2025 after 29-year-old S Yamuna from Visakhapatnam died following a kidney transplant at the hospital. Police found that a Bengaluru medical team had performed the transplant without the required permission, after brokers reportedly offered Yamuna `8 lakh to donate her kidney.
Several people, including DCHS Dr K Anjaneyulu, were arrested. His son, Dr K Avinash, and Dr B Shaswathi were reportedly managing the hospital.