The Power of SWAP: Transforming Organ Transplantation in India

The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has urged Indian states and territories to implement SWAP donor transplants, which allow incompatible donor-recipient pairs to exchange organs. This approach, supported by existing legislation, could increase transplant numbers and improve donor matches nationwide.

The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has reached out to all states and union territories, advocating for the adoption of SWAP donor transplantation. This initiative, as explained by NOTTO director Anil Kumar, aims to boost the number of organ transplants across the nation by facilitating exchanges among biologically incompatible donor-recipient pairs.

SWAP transplantation, which is already legally recognized under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 (THOTA), involves swapping organs between near relatives of different donor-recipient pairs. Such exchanges require prior approval from the jurisdictional authorisation committees, ensuring compliance with national guidelines.

At a national Chintan Shivir, the establishment of a 'one nation, one swap transplant programme' was recommended to standardize the SWAP process. States are now tasked with informing transplant centers to ensure uniformity and accessibility, ultimately benefiting patients in desperate need of organ transplants.

(With inputs from agencies.)