Organ Transplantation in India:

National Organ Transplantation Guidelines:

National Organ Transplantation Guidelines, National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization, Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994.

The government of India enacted it to provide for the regulation of removal, storage and transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and for the prevention of commercial dealings in human organs.

The High Court of Delhi constituted a committee to review the provisions of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 and the Transplantation of Human Organ Rules, 1995. 

In India, Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 provides various regulations for the removal of human organs and its storage

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has modified National Organ Transplantation Guidelines, allowing those above 65 years of age to receive an organ for transplantation from deceased donors.

NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization):

NOTTO is set up under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, located in New Delhi.

National Network division of NOTTO functions as apex centre for all India activities for procurement, distribution and registry of organs and tissues donation and transplantation in the country.

The Centre is planning to make changes in the rules of Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011 towards creating a national policy for transplantation.

Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act, 2011:

The 1994 act was amended by the Government of India in order to streamline the process of organ transplantation and curb instances of illegal dealings. 

The THOA Act encourages deceased donation, permits donation from living persons who are near relatives and swap donations.

Organ transplant: Scenario in India:

The number of organ transplants has increased by over three times from 4,990 in 2013 to 15,561 in 2022.

The most common organ transplant is for the kidney, followed by liver, heart, lung, pancreas, and small bowel transplants.

 In 2022 alone, nearly 12,791 living donor transplants and 2,765 deceased donor transplants were conducted.

Only 1,743 (14%) of the organs were from deceased donors, while the majority of organs harvested were from living donors, specifically kidney and liver donations.

Nearly all deceased organ donations in 2021 were in 15 states, with the top five accounting for over 85% of the total.

Need for Increased Organ Donations in India:

India conducts the third highest number of transplants in the world, but the number of organs needed is still much higher than the number of transplants.

Lifestyle diseases are increasing the demand for organs as heart and lungs can only be retrieved from deceased donors.

Nearly 1.5 lakh persons die in road traffic accidents every year in India, many of whom can ideally donate organs.

Organ transplantation also helps to reduce the burden on the healthcare system by reducing the need for hospitalization, repeat surgeries, and long-term treatment.

India has an organ donation rate of 0.52 per million population, much lower than the rate in Spain (49.6 per million).

Organ donation can help save the lives of multiple people, as one donor can donate several organs and tissues.

Challenges of Organ Transplantation:

Lack of awareness: There is a lack of awareness among people about the importance of organ donation and transplantation, which leads to a shortage of donated organs.

Shortage of donors: Despite increasing awareness, there is still a shortage of organ donors due to several reasons, including religious beliefs, and lack of trust in the medical system.

Legal and ethical issues: There are several legal and ethical issues surrounding organ donation, including consent, allocation of organs, and the fair distribution of organs.

Transportation and preservation: Organs need to be transported and preserved under specific conditions to ensure their viability for transplantation which has logistical challenges, especially for organs that have a short shelf life.

Medical suitability: Not all donated organs are suitable for transplantation due to medical conditions or other factors, which can limit the number of available organs for transplant.

Costs: The costs associated with organ transplantation can be high, which can limit access to treatment for some patients.

Government Steps to facilitate Organ Transplant in India:

Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA): It was enacted in 1994 and governs organ transplantation in India.The act also establishes the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) and State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (SOTTO) to oversee organ donation and transplantation activities.

National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP): It was launched in 2014 to create a national registry of organ donors and recipients, establish more organ transplant centers, and raise awareness about organ donation.

Deceased Organ Donation Program: It was launched by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to encourage organ donation from deceased individuals.

National Organ Donation Day: The government of India has designated November 27 as National Organ Donation Day to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation and encourage people to pledge to donate their organs.

Swasth Bharat Yatra: It is a government-led campaign to promote healthy living, prevent lifestyle diseases, raise awareness about organ donation and encourages people to pledge to donate their organs.

National Organ and Tissue Transplant Registry: It has established a National Organ and Tissue Transplant Registry to maintain records of organ donations and transplantation in the country to help in the development of policies and strategies to promote organ donation and transplantation.

Organ Retrieval Banking Organization: It is a part of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi and is responsible for the retrieval, preservation, and distribution of organs for transplantation in the Delhi-NCR region.