Context

Recently, the Centre has issued few directions to the states with regard to NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organisation).

Organ Transplant Violations Involving Foreign Nationals

• Recently, two successive organ transplant cases involving foreign nationals came to the fore in which regulations were violated. In Rajasthan, fake NoCs were allegedly issued to Bangladeshi nationals, and in Delhi, poor Myanmar nationals were allegedly paid to donate kidneys.
• Earlier, after the case involving Myanmar nationals came to light, the Union health secretary had urged the foreign secretary to sensitize the embassies as they are required to issue a certificate to their respective citizens, stating that the donor and recipient are related to each other for undergoing transplant in India.
• The NOTTO registry data shows that there has been an increase in the number of transplants in foreign nationals. 

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About Recently Issued Directions by the Centre

• ID-Generation: The directions are given to ensure that a NOTTO ID is generated for the donor and recipient for living-donor as well as deceased-donor transplants. 
• Mandatory Quick Identification: NOTTO-ID being mandatory for considering allocation of organs in case of deceased-donor transplant, this ID in case of a living-donor transplant shall also be generated at the earliest, maximum within 48 hours after the transplant surgery is done.
• Investigation & Inspection: The Union Health ministry has directed state authorities to investigate cases of commercial trading of organs and take appropriate action for violations, if any.
  • State governments to devise a system for regular inspection of all transplant and retrieval centres. 
• Combat Arising Commercial Trading Issue: Organs of the deceased donor are anonymously allocated to people waiting for a transplant, while an organ can be donated by a living person only if donor and recipient are close relatives or share a close bond and want to donate altruistically. 
  • Commercial trading of organs is not allowed under Indian laws.
• In Accordance with Law: To ensure that foreigners come to India to get a transplant by following the laws of the land. 
  • While it is encouraging to see an increasing number of foreign nationals choosing India as their destination for getting a transplant as India offers world class transplantation at a fraction of the cost as compared to several Western countries. It must be held in accordance with the law.