- With an increasing number of foreigners visiting India for organ transplantation, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued an advisory.
The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO)
- Established under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994, is an apex organisation to provide an efficient and organised system of organ procurement and distribution in the country and maintains a national registry of donors and recipients of organs and tissues.
- The Health Ministry has prepared protocols and guidelines for publication on the Bureau of Immigration’s website and has requested the External Affairs Ministry to circulate these guidelines at airports.
- Key requirements include the necessity of a medical visa for organ transplant treatments and that all living donors must be 18 or older.
- According to 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.
Dig Deeper: What is Transplant Rejection?
