In an interesting but far reaching move, the Kerala State Chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has recommended to the national committee to expel Dr. Mohammad Ali from the executive membership of IMA. The contention of the state chapter was that Dr. Ali was biased in his inquiry on the kidney transplantation racket and misused the organisation thereby bringing disrepute to the medical fraternity.

Dr. Mohammad Ali headed the enquiry into the kidney transplantation racket involving two medical institutions in Kozhikode district of Kerala and tribals from Wyanad. The allegation was that the tribals were lured with money to part away with their kidneys which were then transplanted to those in need of it for pecuniary gains. Dr. Ali headed the enquiry on behalf of the IMA.

IMA State president, P.T. Cherian, secretary, Suresh Kumar, N. Bhaskaran, past president, R.C. Ashokan, past secretary, the former IMA all-India president, K.G. Velayudhan Pillai, and others alleged that Dr. Ali had submitted two reports on the matter with a view to help save the accused. The IMA has not made any changes in the commission report.

The committee asked Dr. Ali to quit all official posts in the organisation. Since Dr. Ali is a National Council member of the IMA, the State unit has no right to expel him from the organisation. So it has requested the national committee to expel him from the organisation for his attempt to protect the guilty in the kidney transplantation racket.

In the meanwhile the state committee has demanded that the state government order a comprehensive inquiry into the controversial kidney transplantation racket rocking the State. The IMA accused the State Government of not taking any interest to investigate the matter and bring out the truth. IMA leaders said the State Government should inquire into the racket since the IMA has no statutory powers to conduct such an inquiry.