Govt makes changes, patients aged 65 and above can register for organs

Patients aged 65 years and above can also register for receiving organs from a deceased donor now as the Centre has made necessary changes in the regulation, official sources said on Thursday. They also said the Union Health Ministry has recommended all states to remove the domicile criterion so that needy patients can register themselves in any state for receiving organs.

The sources said the ministry also asked states not to charge any fee from patients seeking such registration, saying it was against the provisions of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules, 2014. An official said states such as Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala have been charging anything between Rs 5,000 to 10,000.

Earlier, the upper age limit was 65 years

The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has made necessary changes in the guidelines which now allows patients aged 65 years and above to register themselves for receiving organs from a deceased donor.

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“For registering patients requiring organs of deceased donors, earlier the upper age limit was 65 years. With this restriction removed, patients of all age groups can register for deceased donor organs. The changed guidelines have been put on the website of the NOTTO,” an official source said.

All states to remove age restrictions

Besides, in some states only patients who are domiciles of that state are allowed to register or are given preference for deceased organ donors. Now, the Union Health Ministry has recommended all states to remove such restrictions so that needy patients can register themselves in any state for receiving organs, the official source said.

“It should be as per the waiting list. This will help patients in seeking transplants from deceased donors at any hospital giving a lot of flexibility,” the official source said. According to officials data, the number of organ transplants has increased from 4,990 in 2013 to 15,561 in 2022.

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The total number of kidney transplants from living donors have increased from 3,495 in 2013 to 9,834 in 2022 and from deceased donors, it has increased from 542 to 1,589 in 2022.

The total number of liver transplants from living donors has increased from 658 in 2013 to 2,957 in 2022 and from 240 to 761 in 2022 from deceased donor. The total number of heart transplants have increased from 30 in 2013 to 250 in 2022 while lung transplants from 23 to 138.

(With Agency inputs)