'No need for changes in kidney transplant law'

Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan says the present laws on organ transplantation were sufficient but they need to be implemented properly.

As the Government contemplates amending the Organ Transplantation Act in the wake of the kidney racket, Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan on Saturday said the present laws were sufficient but they need to be implemented properly.

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"Sufficient laws are there, they just need to be implemented properly," Balakrishnan told reporters when asked about the need for stricter laws to check illegal transplantation of organs.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a conference on 'prevention of kidney disease' at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the Capital.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss had recently said the Organ Transplantation Act would be amended to simplify the procedure and make the punishment for illegal transplant more stringent to curb unlawful practices.

In his speech, the Chief Justice said, "In a conference like this, I am totally a layman. I do not know the implications of kidney diseases. When they say kidney, it reminds me of police, retention and arrest."