KATHMANDU, Nov 24: The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has decided to provide Rs 200,000 to the families of the individuals who opted to donate human organs after death.
Previously, the Human Organ Transplant Center in Bhaktapur provided Rs 100,000 for the families of the organ donors. However, Health Minister Pradeep Paudel has decided to increase the amount to Rs 200,000.
The ministry has also increased the amount given to hospitals supporting organ donation. The financial support for the medical institutions has risen from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000. The MoHP has stated that the Ministry of Finance has agreed to manage the implementation of this decision using internal resources.
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Health Minister Paudel had earlier announced the financial incentive plan for organ donation after death. According to the center, every year, around 1,000 people register at the Human Organ Transplant Center for kidney donation, and 55 people for liver donation.
Under the existing legal framework, only living blood relatives are permitted to donate organs, although there is a provision for organ donation after death. Organs that can be donated within 24 hours of death are eligible for transplantation into a living person.
Currently, the Shahid Dharmabhakta Human Organ Transplant Center in Bhaktapur performs 200 kidney transplants and 20 liver transplants annually. This accounts for almost 70 percent of all organ transplants in the country. In addition to Bir Hospital and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, some private hospitals also carry out organ transplants.
Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha, Executive Director of the Human Organ Transplant Center, called Health Minister Paudel's decision a positive step. “Eight organs can be retrieved from each of the thousands of people who die of brain death each year,” he said, “However, due to factors like lack of public awareness and limited access to hospitals, few families choose to donate.”
According to the center, 10 kidneys and three livers have been transplanted from five brain-dead individuals so far this year. Dr Shrestha also noted that preparations are underway for heart and lung transplants in the near future. He added that over 1,000 kidney and 55 liver donors are currently awaiting transplantation.
The Human Organ Transplantation Regulations, 2073 BS, allows the transplantation of organs from brain-dead individuals into living recipients.
