Lok Sabha Question No. 4957 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-31
Subject: Organ Donation Racket
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: THOKCHOM MEINYA, P. C. MOHAN, K. GOPAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4957 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31 ST MARCH, 2017

## ORGAN DONATION RACKE T

## 4957. DR. THOKCHOM MEINYA: SHRI P. C. MOHAN: DR. K. GOPAL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware that due to our stringent law pertaining to orga  donation there exists a wide spread organ donation racket throughout the country and if so, t he details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has received any report or complaints regarding the sale of human organs for monetary considerations and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether there is any proposal to relax the relevant laws and if so, the details thereof;

- (d) whether the Government is having any proposal to set up National Human Org Donation Bank to facilitate the transplantation of human organs without involvement of any middleman and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether NOTTO w ill establish an online network between organ retrieval, transplant centres and  issue  banks  across the  country  and  maintain  a  digital  national reg stry  of  donors  and transplants and if so, the details thereof; and

(f) whether it is also true that the Government is considering to integrate trauma care with organ donation programme and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

(a) & (b): Government is aware of the inciden ts involving illegal commercial transactions concerning organ donation.  Health is a State subject and steps for prevention and contro such cases are required to be taken by the State Governments. Whenever a complaint is br to the notice of th e Department of Health and Family Welfare, the same is forwarded to State concerned and the Ministry of Home Affairs for action. Details of all such cases are, howe maintained centrally.

- (c): At present, there is no proposal to relax the law.
- (d) Organs are usually not stored and they have to be transplanted as soon as possible retrieval. However, tissues such as cornea, skin, bone, etc. may be stored for a longer require  banking  facility.  A  provision  has  been  made  for  setting  u p  one  National  Biomaterial Centre  (Tissue  Bank)  at  National  Organ  and  Tissue  Transplant  Organisation  (NOTTO), Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi where major part of the infrastructure work has been comple
- (e): As per Transplantation of Human Organs and T issues Act, 1994 (as amended) and Rules framed thereunder, the Central Government has been given the mandate to maintain the Nati registry  of  donors  and  recipients  of  human  organs  and  tissues.  NOTTO  has  been  set  up maintain  this  registry.  NIC  has  be en  entrusted  with  the  responsibility  to  establish  a n  online system of networking in respect of Organs and Tissues from deceased/cadaver donors and t allocation and distribution in a transparent manner.
- (f): National Organ Transplant Programme provides for integration of trauma centres with organ donation.