J&K govt approves amendments in transplantation of human organs bill

The state government Friday approved the Jammu and Kashmir Transplantation of Human Organ (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

The bill seeks to amend various provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Transplantation of Human Organ Act, 1997, to bring its provisions at par with those of the Central act, a government spokesperson said.

The State Administrative Council (SAC) under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik Friday approved the amendments in the bill, the spokesperson said.

The salient features of the bill include: establishing a human organ retrieval centre and a state human organs and tissues removal and storage network; maintaining a registry of the donors and recipients of the human organs and tissues; inclusion of grandparents and grandchildren as near relative in the definition clause; authorizing foreign national relative for transplantation; transplantation of tissue which would cover pellet injury; constitution of authorization committee, he said.

The amended bill gives powers of inspection of tissue bank periodically. The advisory committee will suggest appropriate authority on the issue.

The new bill also includes punishment provisions for removal of any human organs or tissues or both without permission from the authority; enhancement of punishment for contravention and violation of any of the provisions of the act and punishment for illegal dealing in human tissues, the spokesperson said.