Bill passed to bridge organ demand-supply gap and curb trafficking in Andhra Pradesh

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly recently approved the A.P. Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Bill, 2026. This legislation aims to address the critical issue of organ demand-supply imbalance and prevent organ trafficking in the state. The Transplantation of Human Organs Act of 1995, which governs organ transplantation in Andhra Pradesh, was amended in 2011 to keep pace with the evolving medical needs and ethical concerns.

The 2011 amendments notably broadened the definition of 'near relatives' to encompass grandparents and grandchildren, thereby allowing a wider pool of potential living donors without the stringent approval procedures typically required for unrelated donors. Additionally, the bill introduced swap donation provisions, facilitating the exchange of compatible organs between incompatible donor-recipient pairs, thereby enhancing the likelihood of successful transplants within families.

To safeguard vulnerable individuals, the amendments have tightened procedural safeguards, strictly prohibiting organ/tissue extraction from mentally challenged persons and minors. Furthermore, the bill strengthens safeguards for foreign nationals, requiring approval from an Authorisation Committee and prohibiting Indian nationals from donating to foreigners except as near relatives.

In cases where specialized neurologists are unavailable to certify brain death, the amendments permit independent practitioners to be nominated as brain death assessors, provided they are not part of the transplant team.