The Transplantation of Human Organs & Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994 provides for regulation of removal, storage and transplantation of human organs & tissues for therapeutic purposes and for prevention of commercial dealings in human organs & tissues. The subject of artificial organs is not regulated under the aforesaid Act.

As reported by Directorate General of Health Services, there has been an overall increase in lifestyle diseases like Diabetes, Hypertension, Chronic Kidney Disease, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver disease in the past decade, which may cause organ damage. Once the end stage organ failure occurs, such cases may require organ transplants.

The Government of India has implemented National Organ Transplant Program (NOTP) to establish a network of organ and tissue transplant organizations at national, regional and state level and to link them with transplant & retrieval hospitals and tissue banks and to maintain a national registry of organ & tissue donors and recipients for the purpose to provide an efficient system for procurement and distribution of organs & tissues from deceased donors. Under the program, support is provided to establish new or to upgrade existing organ & tissue transplant and retrieval facilities and to establish tissue banks.

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

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