Glossary term · Law & regulation
Deceased organ donation (also: Cadaver donation, Brain-stem death donation, Deceased donor transplant): Deceased organ donation is the donation of organs after death, including after brain-stem death certified by a board of medical experts.
Deceased organ donation means organs are donated after death. MedlinePlus notes that most organ and tissue donations happen after the donor has died. In India, brain-stem death must be certified on Form 10 by a board of medical experts. Allocation follows a set order under the THO Rules 2014, and foreign nationals come last after Indian and Person of Indian Origin recipients.
Who runs the system?
The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is a national-level body under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. People in India can pledge to donate through NOTTO. The Rules give state networking organisations a role in deciding how shared organs are allocated.
How is brain-stem death certified?
The Rules require a certificate on Form 10 signed by all members of a board of medical experts. Where no neurologist or neurosurgeon is available, an empanelled anaesthetist or intensivist nominated by the hospital may certify.
What is the allocation order?
The Rules set the sequence as State list, Regional list, National list, Person of Indian Origin, then Foreigner. They also give priority to patients who have no suitable living near-relative donor.
What does this mean for an international patient?
- Do not plan a trip on the hope of a deceased-donor organ.
- Ask the hospital about the realistic route for your case, including whether a near-relative living donor is possible.
- The donor family does not bear retrieval and preservation costs under the Rules.
No shortcuts
Any offer to move a foreign patient up a waiting list or obtain an organ for payment is illegal. IndiaMedica never sources organs or donors.
Questions people ask
Can a foreigner register on an Indian waiting list?
The THO Rules 2014 place foreign nationals last in the allocation sequence for deceased-donor organs. Ask the transplant hospital how this applies to your case before making any plans or travel bookings.
What is the difference between brain-stem death and cardiac death?
Brain-stem death means irreversible loss of brain-stem function, certified by a medical board under the Rules. MedlinePlus links to guidance on organ recovery after brain death and circulatory death. The treating team explains the details.
Sources
- Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules 2014 (text via LegitQuest)
- NOTTO, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- MedlinePlus: Organ donation
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. How we write and check.