Health Ministry Scraps Age 65 Cap for Receiving Cadaver Organ
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday that the restriction prohibiting recipients older than 65 from receiving cadaver organ transplants had been eliminated, marking a significant change to the policy on organ donation.
The government has made the decision to eliminate the ceiling. Now, individuals over 65 who require organ donation will also be entitled to receive one, according to official sources in the Health Ministry.
According to sources, the government has decided to remove a provision from the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) guidelines because it infringes the Right to Life. They declared, “Now anyone of any age can register for an organ transplant.”
Moreover, an organ recipient could previously register in their state of residence for a potential transplant. States like Gujarat had made submitting a domicile certificate a requirement for registered patients in order to be eligible for a transplant. The Gujarat High Court invalidated the State government’s discriminatory policy in November of last year.
The Indian government chose to end the domicile policy in accordance with the ruling, and all States have been informed of this decision. Each patient can register for a transplant in any other State, regardless of their state of residence. During registration, NOTTO will give the patient a special ID that will follow them even if they visit several hospitals in various States, according to the sources.
In addition to this, certain States, like Kerala and Maharashtra, have been imposing registration fees for organ transplant patients that range from 5,000 to 10,000 rupees. According to the sources, “the Health Ministry has informed States to stop charging registration fees from patients.”
The health ministry is creating a “One Nation One Policy” for organ donation and transplantation. We are adding a chapter about organ donation awareness for students to the school curriculum, per the sources.
Data obtained from the Health Ministry shows that from 4,990 in 2013 to 15,561 in 2022, the number of organ transplants has increased by more than three times.
12,791 (82%) of the 15,561 transplants came from living donors, while 2,765 (18%) came from cadavers.
The kidney is the organ that receives the most transplants (15,561), followed by the liver (766), heart (250), lung (138), pancreas (24) and small bowel transplants (3).
The majority of these transplants, according to the sources, “take place in private facilities; the numbers in government hospitals are far fewer.”
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