New Delhi: On Tuesday, the government announced that as many as 15,561 organ transplants were performed in India in 2022. The data was obtained from the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO). In addition, the total number of registered organ donors in the country was reported to be 4,49,760 as of March 20, 2023. The information was provided in response to a question raised by RJD MP Prof Manoj Kumar Jha during a session of the Rajya Sabha.
When questioned about the number of illegal organ donations that occurred in 2022, Union Minister of State (MoS) Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the House that a few cases of illegal human organ trade had been brought to the attention of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through complaints or media reports. Dr Pawar stated that the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994, authorized state-level authorities to investigate complaints regarding breaches in the Act or its rules and take appropriate action. Complaints of this nature were forwarded to the state governments concerned for investigation and action, according to the MoS. She also stated that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare does not maintain records of such cases.
The minister further informed the House that as of March 20, 2023, the number of patients waiting for organ replacement in India was 49,745. Dr Pawar also provided information on the government's efforts to speed up the process of organ donation and replacement. She mentioned the dissemination of information by NOTTO, ROTTOs, and SOTTOs, which are the three tiers of the National Organ Transplant Program (NOTP), as well as the availability of a website, www.notto.gov.in, and a 24x7 call center with a toll-free helpline number (1800114770) to provide information.
