SIRSA/CHANDIGARH: A hospital run by the Dera Sacha Sauda at its Sirsa headquarters was allegedly conducting illegal organ transplants and stem cell treatment.The dera’s website claims that the Shah Satnam Ji Specialty Hospital , spread over 1.25 lakh square feet, offers diverse facilities, including organ transplant. But, if the hospital was conducting corneal and organ transplant procedures as it claims on website, these would be illegal.Under the Transplant of Human Organs Act, all medical institutions and hospitals performing organ transplant and running eye banks, must be registered with the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) or Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO).However, the 400-bed facility is not registered under either organisation. NOTTO director Dr Vimal Bhandari said, “This hospital is not registered with us.”ROTTO authorities, too, had not registered the hospital. As per ‘Saying Truth’ monthly magazine run by dera, in 2014 the hospital doctors used stem cells from bone marrow in treatment of optic atrophy, caused when nerve of the eyes dries up. However, for any stem cell research, one needs permission from the National Apex Committee for stem cell research under department of health research, ministry of health and family welfare to prevent unethical practice. “No approval was sought from the panel from this hospital,” said Dr Soumya Swaminathan, secretary, department of health research.Only one doctor working in the hospital was registered with Indian Medical Association (IMA) of Sirsa. There are over 150 doctors registered with the IMA Sirsa. “We have no information about doctors working there nor do we have any authority to ask these doctors to register with us,” said Sirsa IMA president Dr K K Goyal.As per IMA national president Dr K K Aggarwal, doctors have to be registered under Medical Council of India. Director general health services Dr Satish Aggarwal was not available for comment. District health authorities had no information about the working of the hospital.