Directions came as lack of consolidated national database for donors and recipients was slowing down the process across states.
- Organ transplantation is a surgical procedure where a failing/damaged organ is replaced with a healthy organ from a donor.
Key SC Directives
- Frame a Uniform National Policy: With a model allocation criteria mitigating issues of gender and caste bias and ending state wise discrepancies.
- State Bodies: Noting that states like Manipur, Nagaland, Andaman and Nicobar, and Lakshadweep lack a State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTO), SC directed Centre to constitute these bodies under National Organ Transplantation Programme after state’s consultation.
- Live Donors: Evolve guidelines for welfare of live donors, ensuring post-donation care and preventing their commercialisation and exploitation.
- Amendments in Death Registration forms: To bedone in consultation with National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) to specify whether an option to donate organs was given to the families of the deceased.
Organ Transplants in India
- Legal Framework: Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act 1994 (amended in 2011).
- NOTTO: National level organization under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, dealing with coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of Organs and Tissues, etc.
- National Organ Transplant Program (NOTP) Scheme: Organize an efficient mechanism for organ and tissue procurement/retrieval especially from deceased donors.
