The state government is considering amendments to the AP Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1995, in order to popularise cadaver transplants. It is studying a proposal to procure the organs of accident victims throughout the state. Several hospitals in Hyderabad had recently conducted awareness campaigns on the need to donate organs like kidneys and eyes.

The AP government's decision to allow only cadaver (kidney from brain dead people due to accidents) transplants is an attempt to reduce largescale malpractices in kidney transplants in some of the neighbhouring states. The government had mooted the idea of phasing out donors other than relatives, especially in the case of kidney, and replacing it with cadavar transplants.

According to Dr S Rama Devi, Director of Medical Education, to make the system foolproof, the government will promote cadavar transplants and phase out donor transplants other than relatives. More than 600 cases have been scrutinised by the expert committee for kidney transplantation to ensure that no malpractices take place and no monetary consideration is involved. But loopholes had come to light in several cases.

Although all applications are cleared only after thorough scrutiny by the expert committee, several people manage to get away with malpractices.

A state-level workshop to highlight the problems associated with organ transplant in the state and promote cadavar transplant is being organized next month. There is also a move to increase the number of centres that have the approval to undertake transplants in the state.