Organs
and Tissues (Amendment) Rules, 2025, under the Transplantation of Human Organs
and Tissues Act, 1994, to promote equitable access to organ and tissue
transplantation services.
More on the News
¨ This
amendment was introduced to strengthen the National Organ Transplant Programme
(NOTP) and streamline the functioning of corneal transplantation centres in the
country.
¨
The cornea is the transparent part of the
eye that covers the iris and the pupil and allows light to enter the eye.
¨
The amendment removes the mandatory
requirement of Clinical Specular Microscopes in corneal transplantation
centres, a condition that was creating infrastructure barriers.
¨
The Clinical Specular Microscope is a
specialised device used to assess the density and health of corneal endothelial
cells before transplantation.
¨
The Ministry stated that this change is
based on expert recommendations and stakeholder consultations, ensuring that
the reform addresses existing challenges in implementation.
¨
This move also aligns with the government’s
broader goal of improving accessibility to eye donation and corneal
transplantation services at the national level.
¨ The
removal of this requirement will ease operational and infrastructural
challenges for smaller eye centres, particularly those in rural and semi-urban
regions.
Significance of the Amendment
¨ This
amendment aims to simplify regulatory norms and ensure that smaller medical
institutions are not excluded due to a lack of expensive equipment.
¨
This change will enable more hospitals and
eye banks to participate in cornea transplantation, thereby reducing the care
gap in corneal blindness treatment.
¨
This decision supports the ‘One Nation,
One Health Vision’ by ensuring that access to transplant services is not
limited by geography or resource constraints.
¨ This
amendment is particularly significant as India has over 1.2 million people
suffering from corneal blindness, with about 25,000–30,000 new cases added
annually.
