Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday refused to pass an order permitting a 16-year-old girl to donate a part of her liver to her ailing father noting it was concerned for the minor.
A vacation bench of Justices A K Menon and N R Borkar said it was not inclined to grant the prayer sought by the girl, who had earlier this month approached HC seeking a direction to the state government’s authorization committee to take a decision on her application for approval to donate a part of her liver.
However, under the Human Organ Transplantation Act 1994, a minor cannot donate organs. It requires the permission of the state government. Therefore, the minor girl was denied the approval.
The girl’s father has been diagnosed with liver cirrhosis decompensated and she has been found to be a suitable donor. The government’s authorization committee, however, refused to grant approval to the girl observing it cannot rule out the existence of emotional pressure or confirm that the consent given by the minor daughter is out of her free will. The committee had also noted the father was an alcoholic.
On Friday, the girl’s advocate Tapan Thatte told the court that liver can be regenerated. Justice Menon, however, said. “You can’t endanger her. Her father’s problem is self-imposed." The court refused to pass any order and posted the matter for further hearing in June.
(With agency inputs)
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