New Delhi: The central government has issued the first-ever guidelines on transporting human organs for transplantation. The Union Health Ministry has developed detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for seamless transport of human organs by various modes of travel such as air, road, railways, and waterways.
According to Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra, the objective of transportation streamlining is to “maximize the utilization of precious organs and provide hope to countless patients who are awaiting life-saving transplants.” Â The SOPs will be used as a guiding document for anyone involved in organ transportation for optimal utilization.
According to the SOPs, for transportation by air following guidelines have been issued:
- Airlines carrying human organs for transplantation can request priority take-off and landing
- They can request late check-in for medical personnel
- The flight captain can announce on the flight that human organs are being transported in the aircraft
- Airport officials should arrange for trolleys to carry the organ box from the plane to the ambulance
To facilitate organ transportation through the metro, the authorities should arrange for priority transit for the metro carrying organs for transplantation. Similar guidelines have been laid down for transport by trains, road, and ships. A nodal officer from the police department will be responsible for creating a ‘green corridor’ for unobstructed organ transport in each city or state.
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