The recommended changes required amendments in the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 and the Rules framed there under.
Jammu & Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh are the only two States who have not adopted the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, as they have their own laws similar to this act.
The Hon’ble High Court of Delhi in CWP No. 813/2004 vide its order dated 6.9.2004 had set up a Committee to examine the provisions of Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 and the Transplantation of Human Organs Rules, 1995. The report was submitted on 25.5.2005. A National Consultation was held on 18.5.2007 and the report was submitted in the second fortnight of August, 2007. The recommended changes required amendments in the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 and the Rules framed there under. These changes are intended to facilitate genuine cases, increase transparency in transplantation procedures and to provide deterrent penalties for violation of the law. In so far as the Act is concerned, the following amendments have been proposed:i) To empower Union Territories, specially Government of NCT of Delhi to have their own appropriate authority instead of DGHS and /or Additional DG (Hospitals).
ii) To make the punishments under the Act harsh and cognizable for the illegal transplantation activities to deter the offenders from committing this crime.
iii) To provide for registration of the centers for removal of organs from the cadavers and brain stem dead patients for harvesting of organs instead of registration of centers for transplantations only.
iv) To allow swap operations between the related donor and recipients who do not match themselves but match with other similar donors / recipients.
Sale / purchase of human organs is already prohibited under Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994. Appropriate authorities established under this Act are responsible and empowered to check the illegal activities of human organs trafficking.
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Source-PIB
SRM/C
