Prisoners in Kerala can now donate their organs

Prisoners in Kerala will be allowed to donate organs if the recipient is a member of the donor's family Necessary changes will be incorporated in jail rules to enable prisoners to donate their organs Prisoners, who sign up for donation, would be provided expert treatment, medicines and special diet  

In a major step to promote organ donation in the state, the Kerala government has decided to permit prisoners in state jails to donate their organs to needy relatives. 

A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of top officials chaired by chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. Necessary changes will be incorporated in jail rules to enable prisoners to donate their organs, a government release said. 

The meeting decided that prisoners will be allowed to donate organs if the recipient is a member of the donor's family. It will be up to the jail department to scrutinise and sanction parole to prisoners who agree to donate their organs.

The prisoners, who sign up for donation, would be provided necessary expert treatment, required medicines and special diet. It would be the government's responsibility to take care of them, the CM said. Efforts would also be made to improve hospital facilities in the prisons. 

Chief secretary Nalini Netto, law Secretary BG Harindranath and Jail ADGP R Sreelekha took part in the meeting.

(with PTI inputs)