Health Ministry to MHA, MEA: Inform foreigners about organ transplant law

The letters urge the home secretary to display the messages on websites and portals of the Bureau of Immigration and the foreign secretary to display it at conspicuous places at the airports as well as on the websites of Ministry of External Affairs and the Embassies and Missions of India abroad.

The development comes in the backdrop of two instances where provisions of the  Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act were violated — in Rajasthan where fake NoCs were issued to Bangladeshi nationals and in Delhi where poor Myanmar nationals were allegedly paid to donate kidneys.

According to officials in the know of the matter: “We realised that foreign nationals were coming to India…And, many were not informed about the laws in India. It is important to widely disseminate the information so that everyone is aware…”

The official added: “… we want to ensure that these transplants are legal.”The information scroll states key points, including the fact that those opting for an organ transplant should come to India on a medical visa. All donors should be over the age of 18 years, no Indian living donor is permitted to give organs to foreigners unless they are a near-relative, the scroll states.

The scroll also states that foreign patients may register to receive organs from a deceased donor— organs of someone unrelated donated after that person’s death — but they will be considered only when there is no Indian patient available to take the organ.

“Commercial dealing in human organs or tissues is prohibited and is a punishable offence in India,” states the scroll.