The Dravidianist news outlet News18 Tamil Nadu has come under severe criticism for repeatedly celebrating Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Hospital, an institution now embroiled in a major kidney trafficking scandal. The channel has honored the hospital twice under its “Maruthuva Viruthugal” (Medical Awards) program. In January 2025, it awarded the hospital the title of “Pioneer in Providing Affordable Healthcare Facilities in Perambalur & Trichy”, and back in 2022, it had named it the “Best Rural Area Medical Service.”
These honors have now become a point of public ridicule and anger, especially on social media, as revelations surface about the hospital’s alleged involvement in an illegal kidney transplant network one that reportedly preyed on financially vulnerable women, exploiting them for organ harvesting.
What deepens the controversy is the hospital’s close political nexus. DMK MLA Kathiravan, the son of the hospital group’s founder, has been accused of using his political clout to shield the institution from accountability, raising serious concerns about regulatory interference and political protection.
Reacting to mounting evidence and public outcry, the Tamil Nadu Health Department has now suspended kidney transplant licenses for Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital in Perambalur, as well as Cethar Hospital in Trichy. The suspension, executed under Section 16(2) of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, follows a preliminary inquiry by the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services, citing urgent concerns in the public interest.
The scandal, which has captured national attention, centers on the exploitation of more than 90 impoverished women, many of whom are daily wage workers. Investigators allege that these women were promised between ₹5 to ₹10 lakh in exchange for their kidneys. The traffickers allegedly used counterfeit Aadhaar cards and fabricated medical documents to facilitate the transplants. In some instances, the women were coerced under financial distress and social pressure into undergoing surgery.
The illicit operations were reportedly carried out at Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Hospital in Perambalur and Cethar Hospital in Trichy. At the heart of the racket is M. Anandan, a 52-year-old DMK functionary from Anampalayam Perur, known locally as “Dravida Anandan.” He is accused of serving as a middleman, arranging deals, transporting donors, and forging official documents, seals, and even wearing fake government uniforms to aid the operation. Anandan is currently absconding. Authorities recovered forged documents, fake IDs, and official attire during a raid on his home.
Dr. Veeramani, the medical officer at the Pallipalayam Government Hospital, has lodged a formal complaint against Anandan, helping to expose the network.
This scandal has reignited concerns over political interference and selective enforcement. MLA Kathiravan, who represents Mannachanallur, is the son of the founder of the Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Group, which owns the Perambalur hospital implicated in the case. The group has previously been accused of avoiding accountability in cases of medical negligence, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. There are also claims that political influence was used to stall the long-promised government medical college in Perambalur, which would have competed with the private hospital chain. Furthermore, so-called free health camps held in Kathiravan’s constituency are now under suspicion, with some fearing they may have served as a front for identifying vulnerable kidney donors.
Despite facing multiple complaints over inadequate care, unsupervised medical interns, and even preventable deaths, the hospital has largely operated without serious regulatory consequences. This has led to widespread allegations of systemic impunity and a failure of oversight mechanisms.
The case continues to fuel questions over media credibility, political influence in healthcare regulation, and the exploitation of marginalized communities in the name of “affordable healthcare.”
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