Green Corridor: Organ Donation & Transplant

A ‘Green Corridor’ is a special route making the route of the hospital where an organ is harvested and the hospital where it is to be transplanted, traffic-free. It is a manually operated route. In India, the concept of Green Corridors has been since 2014. 

The functioning of this corridor is managed by transplant coordinators, local police, traffic police and airport staff that make this transfer of organs from the origin to destination quick and easy. This is an important initiative taken by the government to save human lives and also important from the UPSC Exam perspective. 

In this article, we shall discuss the inception of this Green Corridor initiative, along with its need, significance and impact in saving the lives of people by organ transplant. Review the information below, in line with the syllabus of UPSC.

Green Corridor for Organ Donation [UPSC Notes]:-Download PDF Here

What is Green Corridor for Organ Donation?

• A Green Corridor is a special route that is managed by different departments and authorities and ensures safe and quicker transfer of organs from one hospital to another by different modes of transport.  
• It demarcates a special route for ambulances that can travel on traffic-free roads, which can reduce the total transfer time by 60-70%. 
• The public’s awareness of this Green Corridor is also of utmost importance. This will ensure that not just the concerned authorities but also the citizens of the country pave way for such a noble initiative of saving the lives of people
• Coordinating Authority – The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is the regulatory body for the Green Corridors

Procedure of Organ Transfer through Green Corridor

• Once the doctor suggests an organ transplant and the patient’s family also fills in their consent, the procedure for transplant begins
• The authorities first check for organs within the hospital, and then as per the requirement look within the city, state, region and at the national level

Need for Green Corridor

As stated by experts, there is only a time duration of four hours between which the harvesting and transplant of the organ must be done. 

In small cities and towns, this target can still be achieved, but in cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, etc., which are busy on roads, may not be able to fulfil this requirement. 

Thus, with a Green Corridor in every city, a lot of time can be saved in transferring the organ to the destination via traffic-free routes for the ambulance. 

Significance of Green Corridor for Organ Transplant

As per the latest government statistics, 17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant. There are two main reasons for this:

• The hesitation of people to donate their organs
• Lack of provisions to deliver organs to the patient’s destination

With the help of Green Corridor, more lives can be saved by regulating the second cause of concern. 

If proper provisions are provided, the statistics of organ donation and the saving of people’s lives can also be improved. Given below is the statistics of patients looking for organs to the number of transplants performed (as in 2020):

(Image Source: organdonor.gov)

In India, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Programme (NOTP) is being implemented by the Directorate General of Health Services under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The programme aims to improve access to life-transforming transplantation for needy citizens by promoting deceased organ donation.

Green Corridor for Organ Donation [UPSC Notes]:-Download PDF Here

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Impact of Green Corridor for Organ Donation in India

Cities across the country have started maintaining Green Corridors. Chennai was one of the first cities in India to have a Green Corridor. This system has also helped save lives in the cities of Mumbai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Indore in the last two years.

• As of 2018, the city of Indore in Madhya Pradesh had 34 Green Corridors
• In Chennai, the life of a 21-year-old was saved by transferring the organ in just 14 minutes, after travelling for 12 kms

This initiative of Green Corridors has been taken under the terms and guidelines of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994. This Act provides regulation of removal, storage and transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and for the prevention of commercial dealings in human organs and for matters connected therewith. 

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