Health Ministry revises COVID-19 testing norms for organ transplants
Organ Transplantation
New Delhi: To make organ transplantation more efficient and reduce unnecessary wastage of donated organs, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced that uniform COVID-19 testing will no longer be mandatory for asymptomatic donors and recipients.
However, the COVID-19 RT-PCR test will remain compulsory for lung transplantation cases, even for asymptomatic individuals, as the infection primarily affects the lungs. The decision was announced on Tuesday following recommendations from the apex technical committee of the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO).
For symptomatic donors or recipients, the decision to test for COVID-19 will rest with the treating physicians based on clinical assessment.
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Experts pointed out that in the past, organs from asymptomatic donors were frequently discarded after positive COVID-19 reports, resulting in a loss of valuable organs and tissues that could have saved lives or improved the quality of life for patients in need.
While the organ donation rate in India continued to be very low, the waiting period for the COVID-19 testing report sometimes delayed the deceased donor organ allocation for transplantation. COVID-19 vaccine status of donor or recipient had not impacted the outcome of transplant, and vaccination was not being implemented under the government programme, a note sent to Health Secretaries of all States/Union Territories said, reports the Hindu.
As of now, the incidence of COVID-19 cases has significantly declined across the country. These new guidelines will be reviewed and updated from time to time, depending on the prevailing COVID-19 situation.
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