Organ transplant bill sent back to Parliament over implementation issues

The bill that would criminalise the sale of human organs for transplantation has been sent back to Parliament for further review.

The Organ Transplant Bill was passed by Parliament on 14 May this year and forwarded to the President for assent five days later. The President’s Office said President Dr Mohamed Muizzu decided to return the bill after considering “practical difficulties” in implementing several provisions.

According to the President’s Office, the administration believes the bill requires further review and amendments before it can be enacted.

The government originally submitted the bill to Parliament on 12 October to establish a legal framework for a regulated organ‑donation and transplantation system in Maldives.

The Attorney General’s Office included several offences and penalties in the bill, including:

• Removing a person’s organ for transplant without consent, or transplanting an organ removed without consent  

• Selling or buying a human organ or part of an organ  

• Providing transplant‑related services without a licence, submitting false information, or engaging in prohibited activities  

Under the bill, the Quality Controller appointed under the Health Services Act would be responsible for ensuring transplant facilities meet required standards.

The bill permits only live‑donor organ transplants. Donors must be at least 18 years old, mentally sound, and must donate voluntarily. Individuals in state custody or serving sentences are prohibited from donating organs.

The legislation also establishes two bodies to oversee the system:

• A nine‑member Organ Transplant Council  

• A five‑member Organ Transplant Authorisation Committee  

If enacted, the law would come into force 180 days after receiving presidential assent.

When the bill was first introduced, then‑Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim said the initial draft of a national law governing kidney and other organ transplants had already been completed.

No hospital in Maldives is currently authorised to perform kidney or other organ transplants, though some private hospitals have facilities capable of conducting such procedures.