Mediheal Group of Hospitals founder Dr. Swarup Mishra has publicly denied allegations of involvement in organ trafficking, breaking his silence amid growing scrutiny of the private medical institution’s kidney transplant program.
Facing backlash from a 2023 investigative report and recent public outcry, Dr. Mishra labeled the accusations as baseless and politically motivated.
“We are not involved in any trafficking, we are not involved in any syndicate, and we are not involved in any criminal enterprise related to any issue of kidney transplants,” Mishra said, vowing to clear the hospital’s name through a second independent audit.
The hospital’s lawyer, Katwa Kigen, echoed the founder’s sentiments, emphasizing that Mediheal has adhered strictly to medical and legal procedures. “All that Mediheal does is to provide medical services,” he stated.
Over the past seven years, Mediheal says it has conducted 476 kidney transplants, including 105 for foreign nationals. The hospital has strongly denied findings from the 2023 probe that flagged irregularities in language translations for consent documents involving international donors and recipients.
“In the affidavits to the donors, we have made sure that they confirm understanding the legal provisions, and they are free to withdraw consent at any time,” Kigen explained.
Addressing concerns about poor donor-recipient HLA crossmatch results, Dr. Mishra claimed Mediheal employs cutting-edge genetic mapping to ensure transplant compatibility. “We did level four—cross-matching, HLA matching, and gene-to-gene mapping. Reaction is zero,” he asserted.
Mediheal also denied allegations that kidney donors were offered cash in exchange for their organs, despite multiple victim testimonies suggesting otherwise. The hospital maintains that it charges between Ksh.3.2 million and Ksh.4.5 million to recipients, with no financial inducement for donors.
“No complications have been reported by either donors or recipients,” Kigen said.
Despite the hospital’s firm denial, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has vowed to intensify efforts to investigate the matter, calling for accountability amid mounting concerns from residents of Uasin Gishu County.
As the controversy deepens, Mediheal’s leadership remains adamant about its innocence, positioning itself for what could be a long and complex legal battle.
