Decide on man's application seeking nod for liver transplant from minor donor: HC to Mumbai hospital

Mumbai, Oct 31 (PTI) The Bombay High Court has directed a civic-run hospital to decide an application filed by a man, suffering from a life threatening condition of liver failure, seeking permission for a non-relative minor boy to donate his liver to him.

A vacation bench of Justice Manjusha Deshpande on Thursday said KEM hospital's authorization committee shall decide the man's application for approval as early as possible.

The man, medically diagnosed with Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF), had moved HC apprehending he may not get approval as the donor was a minor and does not fall under the definition of relative under the law.

As per his plea, the donor is a 17-year-old boy and he does not fall within the definition of 'near relative' under section 2(hb) (i) of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act. Under this provision, the donor has to be spouse, son, daughter, parents, siblings, grandparents or grandchildren.

In his plea, the man has sought HC to direct the Director of Health Services, Mumbai and other concerned authorities to grant approval for the liver transplant. It said an application has been made to civic-run KEM hospital seeking permission for donation of liver of the 17-year-old donor to the petitioner.

Government pleader Purnima Kantharia informed the court that an authorization committee of the KEM hospital has been set up under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act to consider the application for approval.

The bench directed the committee to make an endeavour to decide the petitioner's application as early as possible and submit a report to the court on November 3. PTI SP BNM