Context:
Recently, the critical shortage of organ donations, particularly deceased donations, has led to a dire situation in India, with thousands of patients waiting for transplants and a significant number losing their lives daily.
Relevance:
GS II: Health
Dimensions of the Article:
- Organ Donation Landscape in India: Key Points and Disparities
- Challenges in Organ Donation: Key Issues and Concerns
- Key Highlights of New National Organ Transplantation Guidelines
Organ Donation Landscape in India: Key Points and Disparities
Demand and Supply Gap:
- Over 300,000 patients await organ donations in India, but supply falls short.
- Shortage leads to approximately 20 deaths daily among those awaiting transplants.
Slow Growth in Donors:
- Donor numbers (living and deceased) have increased gradually over years.
- From 6,916 donors in 2014, the count reached around 16,041 in 2022.
Low Deceased Organ Donation Rate:
- India’s deceased organ donation rate remains consistently below one donor per million population.
- Urgent efforts needed to raise this rate, unlike countries like Spain and the U.S. with higher rates.
Dominance of Living Donors:
- Living donors make up 85% of all donors in India.
- Deceased organ donations, especially for kidneys, liver, and heart, remain notably low.
State-Level Disparities:
- Varied organ donation rates across Indian states.
- States like Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra have higher deceased organ donors.
- Delhi-NCR, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, and West Bengal prominent for living donors.
Kidney Transplantation Disparity:
- Demand for 200,000 kidney transplants annually greatly exceeds the supply of around 10,000 transplants.
- A substantial gap exists in kidney transplantation in India.
Challenges in Organ Donation: Key Issues and Concerns
Awareness and Education:
- Limited public awareness about organ donation and its significance.
- Insufficient education among medical professionals in identifying potential donors and guiding families.
Family Reluctance:
- Reluctance of families to give consent for organ donation, even if the deceased had expressed willingness.
- Emotional and ethical dilemmas faced by families during organ donation decisions.
Illegal Organ Trafficking:
- Existence of a black market for organs and illegal organ trafficking.
- Criminal activities exploiting organ demand and undermining legitimate donation processes.
Matching Donors and Recipients:
- Challenges in matching suitable donors and recipients based on medical compatibility.
- Limited availability of compatible organs leading to extended waiting times for patients.
Ethical Considerations:
- Debates on offering financial incentives to organ donors and the ethical implications.
- Balancing the need for increased donations while maintaining ethical practices.
Infrastructure and Resources:
- Inadequate infrastructure and resources for organ retrieval, preservation, and transplantation.
- Challenges in timely transportation of organs across regions.
Key Highlights of New National Organ Transplantation Guidelines
Removal of Age Cap:
- Elimination of age limit for organ recipients.
- Improved life expectancy has led to the removal of the previous age restriction.
- NOTTO guidelines no longer prohibit patients above 65 years from registering for organ transplants.
No Domicile Requirement:
- Waiver of domicile requirement for organ recipient registration.
- Implementation of a ‘One Nation, One Policy’ approach.
- Patients can now register for organ transplants in any state, regardless of their place of residence.
No Registration Fees:
- Removal of registration fees for organ recipient registration.
- Several states, including Gujarat, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Kerala, have ceased charging fees for patient registration.
-Source: The Hindu
