Organ donation: Panel clears bill to amend human organ transplant law

Legislation aims to add province in CNICs where people may want to donate their organs

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel approved on Wednesday a bill aimed at curbing the sale and purchase of human organs. Introduced by MQM’s Kishwer Zehra, the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill, 2014 topped the agenda of the meeting of the Standing Committee on the Cabinet Secretariat.

According to the amendment bill, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the authority which issues Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC) and driving licences will make a provision in the form for an undertaking to obtain the consent of the applicant regarding organ donation in the event of the applicant’s accidental death.



“Whoever applies for a driving licence shall sign the undertaking as provided in sub-section (1) consenting that his organs may be transplanted to any person in need of such human organs in case of accidental death of the signatory and removed by the nearest hospital duly recognised to do so by the monitoring authority,” the bill said.

It added that the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the authority which issues driving licenses “shall publicise the importance of organ donation for the welfare of humanity from different scientific and religious aspects so that people may contribute through their voluntary donations of organ and tissue in case of their accidental or brain death.”

During the meeting, Zehra informed the panel that there was a need to amend the existing human organ transplant law to help poor people who lost their organs. “Once any person dies, their organs should be given to those who lost theirs due to illegal trade so that the life of such victims can be saved,” she said.

Adding a section in CNICs and driving licences where people could specify whether they wished to donate their organs once they died would create a huge pool of organs which could be used to help poor victims of the illegal organ trade, she said.

The MQM lawmaker also pointed out that a large number of Pakistanis who lost their organs, kidneys in particular, went to India for treatment. “This is not a positive sign,” she added.

MQM Senator Ali Raza Abidi said passing the amendment bill was a great achievement and will pave the way to stop the sale and purchase of human organs.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st,  2016.