Mangaluru
The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has directed hospitals across India to disclose detailed statistics related to organ transplant procedures, including success rates, failure rates, long-term outcomes, and mortality figures, with special emphasis on kidney transplants.
According to the directive issued by NOTTO director Anil Kumar, all state chief secretaries and health department officials have been instructed to ensure compliance across transplant centres. Hospitals are now required to provide comprehensive, standardised information to patients and their families before obtaining consent for any organ transplant procedure.
The guidelines stress that patients must be clearly informed about potential post-operative risks, complications, and long-term health impacts associated with organ transplantation. This includes transparent disclosure of survival rates and possible medical challenges following surgery, particularly in kidney transplant cases, which form a significant share of transplant procedures in India.
The move aims to strengthen informed consent practices and improve transparency in the organ transplantation ecosystem. Authorities believe that access to reliable data will help patients and families make better medical decisions while also enhancing accountability among transplant hospitals.
The directive follows concerns raised by policymakers regarding the lack of publicly available outcome data from transplant centres. Member of Parliament Brijesh Chowta had earlier written to Union Health Minister J P Nadda on May 22, urging that hospitals be instructed to collect, maintain and publish transplant-related data on their official websites.
Health experts say the initiative could mark a significant step toward standardising transplant reporting practices in India, where organ demand continues to far exceed supply. Greater transparency is also expected to build public trust in the transplant system and encourage ethical medical practices.
Officials have indicated that compliance will be monitored, and hospitals may be required to update data periodically to ensure accuracy and relevance. The directive is part of broader efforts to improve governance and patient awareness in high-risk medical procedures across the country.