Abstract

The proliferation of human organ trade for the purposes of transplantation during 1970s and 1980s has influenced World Health Organization (WHO) to develop a set of guidelines on human organ transplantation. Transplantation means the grafting of a human organ from any living or deceased person to some other living person for therapeutic purposes. Organs like liver, kidney, pancreas, pancreatic islet cells, small intestine, lungs, heart, corneas, skin graft, blood vessels, ear bone, ear drum, hair root are some of the organs and tissues that can be transplanted. The ultimate success of transplantation depends on the quality of the donated organ, and also on the warm anoxic time to which it is subjected. This is the time between the cessation of arterial oxygen supply and the refrigeration of the isolated organ. Transplantation of organs in the human body represents a notable advance in medical science and has tremendous life saving potential. Unfortunately, it has jumped into prominence in recent years because of some controversial issues, not only medical and legal, but also ethical, and even religious issues. There has been sensational reportage in the lay press of alleged gross violations of ethics, and kidneys are said to be stolen while patients were on the operation table for appendectomy, hysterectomy etc. Reports of body snatching, and persons being kidnapped for removal of kidneys have also appeared.