Why in the News?

The Union Government has revised the organ transplant allocation policy, giving priority to women patients and relatives of deceased donors to address gender disparity and boost donations.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Organ Transplant Allocation (Introduction, Criteria, New Rules, Registry & Compliance, Milestones, Infrastructure, Impact, etc.)

Introduction

• The National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has issued a new 10-point advisory aimed at improving transparency, equity, and inclusivity in India’s organ transplant system.
• A key highlight of the revised allocation criteria is the provision of priority status to women patients and relatives of deceased donors awaiting organ transplants.
• This landmark decision is part of a broader effort to address gender imbalances in organ transplant recipients and to encourage more citizens to pledge organ donation.

Organ Transplant Allocation in India

• Organ allocation in India is governed by guidelines formulated by NOTTO under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The allocation criteria already prioritise recipients based on:

• Medical urgency (severity of illness)
• Duration of wait time on the transplant list
• Matching parameters such as blood group, organ size, and age
• Special cases, such as children or patients whose living donor had previously donated an organ but now requires a transplant themselves
• Geographical proximity for optimal organ viability

• The allocation system ensures that organs are distributed fairly and transparently, with the goal of achieving the best medical outcomes.

New Priority Criteria for Women and Donor Families

• The revised guidelines introduce “additional points in allocation criteria” for:

• Women patients on the national waiting list
• Immediate relatives of deceased donors

• Rationale

• Gender Disparity: Historically, women have had lower representation among organ transplant recipients, often due to socio-economic and cultural factors that lead to delayed diagnosis or treatment.
• Encouraging Donations: By offering priority to donor families, the policy aims to increase deceased organ donations, addressing the chronic shortage of organs in India.

National Registry and Data Compliance

• NOTTO maintains a digital national registry of both donors and recipients. Hospitals performing transplants must register patients through this system.
• Key compliance measures:

• All transplant centres must mandatorily submit data for each donor and recipient to the national registry.
• Non-compliance could result in legal action against hospitals.

Organ Donation Milestones in India

• India has seen a remarkable growth in organ donation and transplant numbers:

• 2023: Launch of Aadhaar-based NOTTO online pledge portal.
• 2024: Over 3.3 lakh citizens pledged to donate their organs.
• 2024: A record 18,900 organ transplants were performed, a sharp rise from fewer than 5,000 in 2013.

• These figures indicate growing public participation and improved medical infrastructure in the organ transplantation ecosystem.

Strengthening Transplant Infrastructure

• The advisory also calls for:

• Permanent posts for transplant coordinators in hospitals performing organ retrieval and transplantation.
• Development of organ retrieval centres in all trauma centres and registration of these facilities with NOTTO.
• Encouraging medical colleges to develop retrieval facilities in a phased manner.
• Training emergency responders and ambulance staff to identify potential deceased donors early, especially in cases of road accidents or strokes.

Broader Impact and Future Outlook

• The new allocation rules mark a significant shift in India’s approach to organ transplantation by integrating social equity considerations into medical prioritisation.
• By tackling gender disparity and recognising the contribution of donor families, NOTTO aims to create a more balanced, transparent, and humane system.
• In the long term, these changes are expected to:

• Increase deceased organ donations
• Improve gender balance in transplants
• Enhance trust in the allocation process
• Strengthen national transplant capacity