Transplant law: NA panel mulls travel bans for organ smugglers

Standing committee on health also endorses new PMDC admission policy

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel is considering a proposal to impose visa restrictions on people visiting Pakistan for illegal transplants or for organ smuggling.

In this regard, the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services Regulations and Coordination on Tuesday discussed a number of amendments which are being considered to amend Human Organ Transplant Act 2010 to promote organ donation culture and discourage organ smuggling.

The meeting discussed the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Amendment Bill, moved by MNA Parveen Masood Bhatti.

Health Director General Dr Asad Hafeez said there is a shortage of organs worldwide and patients from developed countries visit poor countries to buy organs for illegal transplants. Thus, there is a need to chalk out a comprehensive legal framework and devise policies by taking on board various departments to discourage sales.

He suggested that people from specific countries that visit Pakistan for illegal transplants, can be checked while processing their visas.

The committee further discussed that there was a need to create awareness about organ donations. Furthermore, it was suggested that a separate column be included in identity cards for donors. The panel further criticised the existing law for remaining silent about cadaver harvesting.

According to rough estimates, about 2,000 kidney legal transplants used to take place every year prior to devolution 2010-11. The committee lamented that since devolution, the provinces do not have their own regulatory bodies or any coordinated system to maintain transplant records. Further, members of the panel felt that after devolution, the organ transplant law was only applicable at the federal level and there was a need to evolve mechanisms between the respective provincial bodies to evolve uniform policies and nationwide monitoring.

The committee directed that a comprehensive bill should be drafted to deal with transplants. The bill was deferred to be discussed in joint meetings of parliamentary committees on health and human rights next month.

PMDC’s new admission policy

The committee also discussed the new admissions policy for private medical varsities issued by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

While the committee endorsed the new policy, chairman Khalid Hussain Magsi said the regulator should exercise its powers and fine all private varsities which fail to follow regulations.

The committee also emphasised that PMDC is legally authorised to impose new rules on all medical dental colleges.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2016.