Centre to amend Transplantation of Human Organs Act to impose strict penalties to violators

The centre has approved the Union Health Ministry's proposal to amend the The Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 in order to make the organ transplantations more transparent and patient friendly, and also for imposing stringent penalties on persons/hospitals violating the provisions of the Act. 

Though the central government had enacted The Transplantation of Human Organs Act to control the human organ trade in the country about 15 years ago, there were widespread reports of violations of the law by the unscrupulous elements in the country for economic gains. Experts in the human organ transplantation field have been demanding to the government to amend the law to curb the unlawful activities in the field also to make it patient-friendly.

The Health Ministry's initiative in this regard comes in the wake of repeated reports about a thriving human organ trade in the country and the consequential exploitation of economically weaker sections of the society. There was an increasing perception among the common people that while the Act has not been effective in curbing commercial transactions in organ transplant, it has thwarted genuine cases due to the complicated and long drawn process involving organ donation.