Head of Nephrology resigns after infighting at K-Sotto; Dr. Mohandas is not a member, says Executive Director

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Disturbances in the government's post-mortem organ donation agency, K-SOTTO (Kerala Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization). Dr. M.K. Mohandas, head of nephrology at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, announced his resignation from K Sotto through Facebook.

Three months ago, Mohandas had posted on Facebook that there was corruption in K-SOTTO and that Nodal Officer Noble Gracious was a failure. With this, the Cold War became an open battle. Although the Principal and DME intervened, it did not resolve the issue. The post said that he was resigning for personal and health reasons. "I will have no connection with K-SOTTO from now on. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. I believe in the Constitution, democracy and Dr. BR Ambedkar," Dr. Mohandas wrote on Facebook.

Following the resignation, K-SOTTO Executive Director Dr. Noble Gracious came forward, explaining that Dr. Mohandas is not a K-SOTTO member and that he is only an officer assigned by the DME. The K-SOTTO Nodal Officer says that Dr Mohandas is just an officer assigned to facilitate coordination. He also revealed that the officer (Dr Mohandas) in charge of coordinating the post-mortem project will be subjected to disciplinary action at the government level for not performing his duty and portraying K-SOTTO in a negative light through social media.

"Dr MK Mohandas, who is responsible for implementing the project in the southern region (Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha), has only cordinated one post-mortem organ donation in the last two years at the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. Mohandas should have submitted his resignation through the appropriate channel, through the DME, if he wanted to be released for personal reasons," explains Dr Noble.