Govt employees to get 42 days' special casual leave if they donate organs

The Centre has decided to grant 42 days of special casual leave to its employees for organ donation, considering the time taken for recovery after the major surgery. At present, there is a provision for 30 days granted as special casual leave.

An official memorandum (OM) issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said, "Organ removal from a donor is a major surgery that requires time for recovery, including both hospitalisation and post-hospitalisation periods. Further, keeping in view the noble activity to help another human being and to promote organ donation among the central government employees, it has now been decided to grant a maximum of 42 days of special casual leave to a central government servant for donating their organ(s) to another human being, as a special welfare measure in the public interest.''

Irrespective of the type of surgery for the removal of the donor's organ, the duration of special casual leave will be a maximum of 42 days according to the recommendation of a government-registered medical practitioner or doctor, the order said.

"The leave shall be granted to all types of living donors provided that the donor has been duly approved for donation by a government-registered medical practitioner in accordance with the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994," it said.

The Personnel Ministry said it has been considering the grant of special casual leave to organ donors in light of several references and queries received, in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The special casual leave shall not be combined with any other leave except in exceptional circumstances of complications of surgery on medical recommendation by the government-registered medical practitioner or doctor, said the order issued to all central government departments and ministries.

Special casual leave shall normally be taken in one stretch starting from the day of admission to the hospital. However, in case of requirement, it can be availed starting a maximum of one week prior to surgery on the recommendation of a government-registered medical practitioner or doctor, it said.

Flexibility or splitting of leaves may be permitted on the recommendation of a treating government-registered medical practitioner or doctor, the order stated as reported by PTI.

''Treatment in connection with organ donation shall, as far as possible, be done at any authorised hospital. In a case where no authorised hospital (government hospital or private hospital empanelled under the Central Government Health Scheme or CGHS) is available in the area or zone of treatment and the treatment is done from a private hospital, the production of a medical certificate duly certified by the concerned HOD of the hospital is mandatory,'' it said.

(with PTI inputs)