dna Impact: Maharashtra govt ignores definition of kin, saves 3 lives

Maharashtra government's decision to forget the legal definition of who is a 'close relative' is going to save three lives.For nine months, a 62-year-old man had wanted to donate his kidney to his 45-year-old niece, under what is called a domino transplant.But the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA), 1994, under which kidney transplants are performed in India, insists that donors and recipients should be close relatives. This Act doesn't recognise a maternal uncle and niece as close relatives.In this case, the transplant covered three persons. dna is withholding the names of the three to protect their identities.When several meetings with state authorisation committee officials, who give the go-ahead for domino transplants, did not yield results, relatives of the patients approached Governor C Vidyasagar Rao.dna had published a series of articles, starting from April 4, 2015, highlighting their case. The last report was published on November 8, 2015.With the government nod, the transplant will now take place in the third week of January.Of the three surgeries, two will be done at PD Hinduja hospital and one at Bombay hospital. Hinduja hospital nephrologist Dr Jatin Kothari, who is part of the transplant, said: "The two previous domino transplants were hugely successful. Their success has set a precedent. It encourages people to opt for the transplant as it reduces waiting time.""Great thanks to Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and minister of medical education Vinod Tawde, who all took keen interest in the case. This is the third time we will be performing a domino transplant," he said."All three transplants will be conducted the same day. About 20-24 doctors will perform the transplant in six operation theatres," he said.The previous domino transplant, consisting of six donors and six recipients, was held on January 25, 2014, in Mumbai.Talking to dna, Tawde said: "We carefully examined the case to see that there is no exploitation and everyone benefits. On humanitarian grounds, we granted permission as it will save three lives. In future, if such cases come to us, definitely we will look at them positively. The law cannot be above human life."