| The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act of 1994 • An Indian donor cannot donate organs to a foreigner unless they are a near relative, which includes spouses, children, parents, siblings, and grandparents. • Certification of the relationship by a senior official of the donor’s embassy in India is required. |
- (Organ Donation Advisory released in June and covered in June Magazine)
- The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued guidelines for the transportation of live human organs, a first in the country.
- These protocols aim to ensure the rapid movement of life-saving organs.
- The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994, permits the harvesting of organs from living donors or brain-dead patients with family consent.
- These organs are transported between hospitals by air or road, depending on the location of eligible recipients.
- The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will guide healthcare institutions in States/Union Territories on transporting organs via various modes, including metro trains and over water.
- It specifies that organs for transplant will only be transported within India and not outside the country.
- When transporting organs by air, the Ministry recommends screening the organ box without opening it, though passengers carrying organ are not exempt from security checks.
- Priority in deboarding.
- Airlines may facilitate front-row seating, priority reservations, and late check-ins for organ transport.
- Green path (free from obstruction) and providing a trolley for the organ box from the ambulance to the aircraft at the origin and from the aircraft to an ambulance at the destination.
Dig Deeper: Read about the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation.
