E-Paper
Your Space: Need strict laws, more awareness about organ donation
The kidney swapping case has forced the state administration to remove the Sassoon hospital superintendent. Is this action enough to check such medical crimes? Readers share their views...
People should be educated about legal framework
The continued issue of unlawful organ trading is a result of years of unmonitored organ transplantation, which has developed into illegal activity. However, non-implementation of some of the 2014 amendments also contributes to this, as state government and hospitals have failed to follow several of the new amendment’s recommendations. People should be educated that the legal framework must ensure that the donor provides informed permission and that donors receive legal and medical assistance before the process starts. Organ donation regulation is still in its infancy in India, owing to the fact that organ donation is not merely a medical issue. Numerous factors, including economics, the function of state governments, and the role of hospitals, all play a significant part in increasing organ donation in India. Government facilities remain understaffed and underequipped in many places, making organ donation heavily reliant on private hospitals. This also prevents a significant number of people from being aware of the procedure of organ donation.
Puja Raj
More awareness needed
Human organ transplant is a life saviour for many people who are suffering from the disease but some people who have taken the charge to be a life saviour are misusing this practice for their own monetary benefits. It has become one of the biggest issues all around the globe. Many questions arise on this matter but one big question is are these actions are enough to check such medical crimes? The simplest answer would be “no.” Poor people, those who are in serious need of money will be used for such illegal practices. Many more issues might come to light in future and this needs to be stopped.
Richa Paunikar
State should tighten noose around state hospitals
The Maharashtra government needs to tighten the noose around state hospitals that conduct kidney transplants. The state health department must remain alert on the issue and take assistance from health activists, nephrologists and urologists in connection with the kidney transplant operations. The Maharashtra government has constituted a committee comprising health specialists to review the SOPs. Information on kidney donors must be stored online by linking the donor’s Aadhar card. The software must contain complete information about the receiver, donor, and operation. The shortage of organ donors for patients with end-stage organ diseases requiring transplants is a universal problem. This peculiar situation has led to organ trafficking with the exploitation of poor people who are made to sell their organs as has happened in the Pune kidney transplant racket. To address the issue of organ trafficking and to ensure fair allocation of organs donors, the government needs to frame proper laws.
Renu Sharma
Need strict laws
The agents, donors, recipients, forgers and doctors are part of this dangerous kidney racket. A person in dire financial straits is offered a few lakhs for selling his/her kidney or organs. It is seen that the donor often gets co-opted into the racket and is used to find others who could be similarly coerced into parting with an organ. Traffickers depend on forgers who can fake documents like a marriage certificate or a birth certificate to show the donor is related to the recipient. Doctors operating on or treating transplant patients are not supposed to be part of panels that screens donor and recipient.
Achyut Hulyalkar
