Justice and equality: On organ transplantation, gender skew
While certainly laudable in what it sets out to do, this move could well be beset with procedural hassles. Currently, organ allotment protocols do not allow for prioritising any one recipient over another, except on grounds of health. There are, therefore, no provisions to prioritise women and/or near relatives of previous donors. Since the NOTTO advisory, questions have also been raised about whom the definition of 'near relatives' should include, and if all families involved in donating cadaveric organs for transplantation (since 1995) would be considered beneficiaries. The primary fear among implementers seems to be that this might become another backdoor way to facilitate out-of-turn allotments, particularly as organ harvesting rackets continue to be busted in India. However, it makes little sense to throw the baby out with the bathwater, particularly when operating with the intent to be more inclusive, in a society shaped by patriarchal norms. It is crucial that NOTTO makes this a participative process, taking along various agencies involved in implementation. While it is important to ensure proper implementation under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, and widen access to the limited pool of organs, above all, it is imperative that the principle of not denying anyone whose need for an organ is the greatest, based on health parameters, is always adhered to.
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