Girl’s kin yet to get organs, British politician protests
Monday, 20/05/2013
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
LONDON: The British politician campaigning on behalf of an Indian-origin girl whose organs were removed at a hospital in Patiala on Sunday expressed shock and outrage that the organs were yet to be returned to the girl's parents, more than 45 days after her sudden death.
Eight-year-old Gurkiren Kaur Loyal from Birmingham was holidaying with her parents in Punjab and was rushed to a clinic at Khanna on April 2 after being taken ill. She died shortly after. Her parents claim that a mystery injection was administered, hinting at a racket in human organs.
When her body was returned to Britain, a coroner said he could not determine the cause of death because her internal organs had been removed. The organs were removed for an autopsy at the Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, where she had been transferred from the clinic.
“We are trying to get the organs back for the second postmortem in Britain,” Birmingham labour councillor Narinder Kaur Kooner told HT. "The hospital needs to respect the wishes of the family and ensure the speedy return of the organs, so that the second postmortem can be conducted.”
She said, “The family was told they would receive the postmortem report after 45 days. Now it's over 45 days since the process began and they haven't received anything yet. There's been no contact with the doctors. Why is it taking so long?”
Kooner said she had details about other Britons who had died in Punjab under similar circumstances. The politician has received “dozens of calls” since Loyal’s case hit the headlines in Britain, and has spoken of the mysterious death of an unnamed 10-year-old boy, who was also given an injection.“I will release all the details at the appropriate time,” she told HT.
FAMILY SPEAKS UP
The girl's family said they had asked for the organs to be returned and the doctors had agreed. They failed to understand why the body was returned without organs when the hospital knew that the second autopsy was to be held in Britain. The family also said that they had been assured that the entire organs would not be removed. The family also failed to understand as to why some organs were taken to another institution.
