A wealthy individual is admitted to your hospital. He was diagnosed 48 hours ago
ID: 124133 • Letter: A
Question
A wealthy individual is admitted to your hospital. He was diagnosed 48 hours ago with kidney failure and needs a transplant. He is placed on the transplant list, but is advised it will probably take months or years to obtain a kidney. Suddenly, today an individual arrives with a foreign appearing man, who doesn't speak English and appears unkempt. He states he is the patient's "cousin" and wishes to "gift" a kidney to your patient. What rules apply to organ donation? Who oversees them? Is this illegal activity or OK? What is the hospital's obligation in "policing" the source of donated organs? in 300 words
Explanation / Answer
The main provisions of Transplantation of Human organs Act is aimed at regulation of removal, storage and transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and for the prevention of commercial dealings in human organs. The main rules which apply to organ donation are,
Overseeing organ donation:
Regulatory and advisory bodies will monitor organ transplantation.
(i) Appropriate Authority (AA): inspects and grants registration to hospitals, enforces required standards for hospitals, conducts regular inspections to examine the quality of transplantations.
(ii) Advisory Committee: consisting of experts in the domain who shall advise the appropriate authority.
(iii) Authorization Committee (AC): regulates living donor transplantation by reviewing each case to ensure that the living donor is not exploited for monetary considerations and to prevent commercial dealings.
(iv) Medical board (Brain Death Committee): Panel of doctors responsible for brain death certification.
If the above rules and regulations are followed then it is legal. This will be practices strictly.
Policy regarding the source of donated organs:
The donated organs come from two sources such as from deceased organ donors and living donors.
1, Deceased donors are people who have suffered brain death after a head trauma or medical problem in the brain such as bleeding. The families of these patients make the generous decision to donate their organs. Patients who are on the transplant wait list are waiting for organs from deceased donors.
2, Living donors are classified as either a near relative or a non-related donor.
(i) A near-relative (spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings, parents and grandparents) needs permission of the doctor in-charge of the transplant center to donate his organ.
(ii) A non-related donor needs permission of an Authorization Committee established by the state to donate his organs.