Bhubaneswar: Odisha Health & Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling has ordered an inquiry into allegations of organ theft made by the family of a deceased man against a private hospital in Cuttack.
The accusations surfaced after the death of Babula Diggal, a resident of the Baliguda area in Kandhamal district, who succumbed to his injuries following a motorcycle accident.
According to reports, Babula Diggal passed away while receiving treatment at the private hospital. After performing his last rites, the family discovered stitch marks on his body, which seemed inconsistent with the injuries he sustained to his head during the accident.
This led them to suspect foul play, and they subsequently filed a complaint at the police station. In response, the police exhumed the body and sent it for an autopsy.
The hospital administration has refuted the organ theft allegations. Sushant Behera, the hospital’s manager, explained that Babula had undergone a decompressive craniectomy—a procedure where part of the skull is removed and temporarily stored in the abdomen to reduce swelling in the brain.
Behera clarified that this procedure was done with the family’s consent, and the skull would have been reattached once the patient had recovered.
However, Behera also admitted that no post-mortem had been conducted following Babula’s death, which has raised further concerns about the hospital’s handling of the situation.
Taking the matter seriously, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted.
“Stern action will be taken against anyone found guilty in this case,” Mahaling said, after discussing the issue with the Police Commissioner.
