What was the previous age limit for organ transplantation?

Up until last week, people who were 65 or younger could register to receive organs donated by a deceased person. Now, that age limit has been removed with the government opening the registration for people of all ages.

Why has it been removed now?

A Health Ministry source told CNBC that 65 is "not old enough to bar someone from even considering organ transplantation."

What will change with the removal of the domicile criteria?

Previously, certain states allowed people to only register to receive organs from deceased donors if they were “domiciled in the state.” This also meant that an organ donated in a state, say Uttar Pradesh, was first shared with the hospitals in UP, then in nearby states, and only if no match was found for the organs were they shared nationally. However, with the new rules, people will be allowed to register for transplantations anywhere. A Health Ministry official was quoted by CNBC as saying,

Will there be no registration fee now?

No, under the 2014 Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules, charging a registration fee is not allowed. States like Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Kerala, which would charge anywhere between Rs 5,000-10,000 for registering for a transplant, have been asked not to impose any fee from now on.

How many organ transplantations happen in India each year?

India performs the third-most number of organ transplants globally, with 17 percent of all transplants happening through organs donated by deceased persons.

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India's Organ Donation & Transplant Rules: What Are the Three Key Changes?

The age limit for organ transplantation has been removed with the government opening the it for people of all ages.

Garima Sadhwani

Published: 20 Feb 2023, 12:46 PM IST

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The Health Ministry has made three big changes to the India's Organ Donation and Transplantation rules.

According to the changes notified on the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation website:

The age limit for organ transplantation has been removed
The domicile criteria that states followed for organ transplantation has been removed
The registration fee has been eliminated

FIT answers all your FAQs about the newer rules.

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India's Organ Donation & Transplant Rules: What Are the Three Key Changes?

The age limit for organ transplantation has been removed with the government opening the it for people of all ages.

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Topics: Organ Donation Health Ministry Organ Transplantation