Centre to amend Organ Transplant Act

Chennai, Oct 27 (UNI) The Centre would bring in amendments to the Organ Transplant Act in the budget session of Parliament in the wake of recent kidney racket scam, involving illegal transplantations, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said today.

Talking to newspersons on the sidelines of a function, he said the amendments were necessary to make transplants more transparent.

As a first step to ensure more transparency in organ transplant, the Centre would implement the National Transplant Programme in the next four months.

''Under the programme, ten Organ Retrieval Banking Organisations (ORBO) would be opened in the country, including in four metros and in Hyderabad, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Guwahati and Bangalore'', he added.

The government would closely work with the ORBO and initiate programmes to carry the transplant process further.

''Through these centres, the needy would be able to facilitate organ transplant and make the process proper and accountable'', Dr Anbumani said adding that online registration would also be included making it possible for the needy and the donors to undergo the procedure in a systematic programme.

Expressing concern over illegal transplants and the recent kidney racket that led to the arrest of a city-based nephrologist Palani Ravichandran by Mumbai Police, he said such incidents not only take place in Tamil Nadu but also in other parts of the country.

The Tamil Nadu government had been taking necessary steps in this regard for the last one year and the Centre for its part would bring in Amendments to the Organ Transplant Act to bring in more transparency.

He warned of stringent action, including arrest, against those violating the laws and that the licences would also be cancelled.

He said prizes and free second class railway tickets would be provided for the families of donors to encourage organ donation.

''Besides this to meet the requirement of organs, government would encourage the families of brain dead donors with incentives and facilities like free second class railway tickets, for organ donation'', he added.

UNI