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The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is reconsidering its approach to increasing cornea donations, moving away from the controversial opt-out method.
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- The opt-out mechanism, where individuals who die in hospitals are presumed to be donors unless they explicitly state otherwise, has faced resistance due to the sensitive nature of cornea donations.
- Instead, NOTTO is exploring alternative solutions, including presumed consent for those who have registered as donors on the Aadhaar-linked national organ donation registry.
NOTTO
The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is an apex body established under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It was formed to facilitate and regulate organ donation and transplantation in India, following the amendments to the Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA) in 2011.
New Focus on Aadhaar-Linked Registry
- Currently, registration on India’s organ donor registry is not legally binding.
- Hospitals must obtain consent from family members for any organ donation, including corneas, even if the deceased was a registered donor.
- However, with the Aadhaar-linked registry introduced last year, the government aims to create a verifiable database accessible to hospitals, reducing reliance on physical donor cards.
- The Aadhaar-linked registry has garnered over 200,000 registrations, with 52% being men and 44% aged between 30 and 45 years.
- Despite this, the current Human Organ and Tissue Transplantation Act mandates family consent, necessitating legal amendments to enable automatic donations for registered donors.
Challenges and Legal Hurdles
- Cornea donation remains a particularly sensitive issue, often encountering greater resistance than other organ donations.
- Experts have noted that while a full opt-out system may face societal pushback, easing regulations for registered donors could significantly improve donation rates.
- A group of experts, including legal professionals, is reviewing potential amendments to the law.
- If successful, the changes could later extend to other organ donations, following the model established for corneas.
Improving Availability of Corneas
- The initiative primarily aims to address the shortage of corneas, the dome-shaped front layer of the eye critical for vision.
- Streamlining donation protocols for corneas could serve as a pilot for broader organ donation reforms in the future.
