By Janaka Liyanarachi
Some doctors dedicate their lives to saving patients, quietly performing their duties without seeking recognition. However, some misuse their skills, turning hospitals into places of suffering for their benefit. These doctors exploit patients, causing harm instead of healing.
Society holds good doctors in high regard, often treating them as heroes. Unfortunately, even these respected doctors sometimes feel powerless when faced with unethical colleagues. They either continue their work quietly or leave the country altogether.
A recent incident at Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital highlights this issue. B.G.N. Kumuduni, whose husband works as an accountant in Dubai, returned to Sri Lanka after living abroad for over 20 years to seek treatment for a hereditary kidney disease. She was suffering from chronic kidney failure and was hoping for a kidney transplant.
Medical experts say that while having two functioning kidneys is ideal, a person can live a healthy life with just one. Even when both kidneys fail, dialysis can help. A kidney transplant is usually performed without removing the patient’s existing kidneys unless there is a specific medical reason.
In Kumuduni’s case, tests showed her kidneys were failing but not in an immediately life-threatening way. Her sister had already volunteered to donate a kidney, so there was no issue with finding a donor. Experts agreed that unless there was a serious condition like cancer, she did not need a transplant right away.
Despite this, a specialist at Jayawardenepura Hospital removed both of Kumuduni’s kidneys on March 4, planning to perform a transplant in six weeks. After the surgery, her sister was prepared to donate, but the specialist suddenly refused to proceed with the transplant on March 11, citing personal issues with a fellow doctor. This delay had nothing to do with medical concerns.
Now, months later, Kumuduni is still waiting for the surgery. Without her kidneys, she has been surviving on expensive and painful blood transfusions, costing her over one lakh rupees a month. So far, she has undergone nearly 60 transfusions, spending six lakhs of her savings—money that was meant for the surgery.
In frustration, Kumuduni contacted the hospital administration, the Health Minister, and the Health Secretary. The newly appointed hospital president immediately launched an investigation, uncovering a shocking truth. The specialist who removed her kidneys had been involved in a decade-long organ trafficking operation.
The investigation revealed that this doctor had been delaying transplants at Jayawardenepura Hospital, referring patients to private clinics where he charged up to Rs. 3.5 million for the operation. At the hospital, Kumuduni would have only paid Rs. 800,000, but the doctor’s actions forced her to seek more costly alternatives.
This case highlights how some doctors exploit vulnerable patients for profit, performing unnecessary surgeries and making money off their suffering.
Dr. Saranga Alahapperuma, President of Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital, confirmed that complaints had been received and assured a fair investigation into the matter.
We live in difficult times, often without access to proper medicine or healthcare. However, we cannot allow unethical doctors to turn our suffering into a business. This story is shared to stop these wrongdoings, and we hope the authorities will take action to prevent further harm.
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