Foreigners Constitute 10% Of Organ Transplant Recipients In India: Govt

Foreign nationals account for nearly 10% of organ transplant recipients in India, according to government data.

In 2023, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) reported 18,378 organ transplants in India, with 42 recipients receiving more than one organ.

This means there were 18,336 individual recipients, of which 1,851 were foreign nationals, according to a Times of India report.

Transplants involving foreign nationals were conducted across various states: Delhi (1,445), Rajasthan (116), West Bengal (88), Uttar Pradesh (76), Telangana (61), Maharashtra (35), Karnataka (15), Gujarat (11), Tamil Nadu (3), and Manipur (1).

Most of these patients come from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar where transplant facilities are either unavailable or still developing.

Living Donor Transplants Preferred by Foreigners

Many foreigners opt for living donor transplants in India due to the significantly lower costs compared to their home countries.

Dr Subhash Gupta, a liver transplant surgeon and chairman at Max Centre for Liver and Biliary Sciences, noted that "nearly 30% of patients undergoing liver transplants at our centre are foreigners."

Some patients even come from developed nations like the US and UK for these procedures.

An organ transplant involves transferring an organ from a donor to a recipient. Donors can be living or deceased.

Living donors can donate organs such as kidneys, parts of the pancreas, and segments of the liver. Deceased donors can provide multiple organs including the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines, and corneas.

Strict Protocols for Foreign Recipients

Pallavi Kumar from Mohan Foundation highlighted that deceased donations are rare in India and priority is given to Indian recipients for organs from deceased donors.

"Most transplants involving foreigners are living donor transplants," she said. The NOTTO data supports this trend; out of the 1,851 foreigner transplants in 2023, only nine involved organs from deceased donors.

Dr A S Soin from Medanta-The Medicity explained that strict protocols are followed for living donor transplants involving foreigners.

"There are strict protocols and vetting is done at multiple levels to ascertain that the donor is a blood relative of the patient before allowing transplant," he said.

Recently, reports emerged about commercial dealings in organ transplants involving foreign citizens.

In response, the Centre directed states and Union Territories to create NOTTO-IDs for all organ recipients to ensure transparency in both living and deceased donor-related transplants.

The process ensures that all necessary checks are in place to maintain ethical standards while providing life-saving treatments to those in need.

This approach aims to balance the needs of both Indian citizens and foreign nationals seeking medical care in India.