The Lagos state House of Assembly, has moved to criminalise the illegal organ transplant by residents of the state, as a bill for a law to regulate organ harvest and transplant in the state scaled second reading.
Specifically,Clause 33 of the bill which spells out the offences and penalties for the culprit, provides that a person who removes the organ of another person for a reason other than therapeutic purposes commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of 10 years without an option of fine.
Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Hon. Olusola Sokunle, pointed out that the bill is a legal framework to regulate the removal and transplant of organs from either living or dead persons to patients suffering from terminal organ failure.
Sokunle disclosed that the bill would regulate the harvest and transplant of human organs in order to curb illegal trading of the organs.
He further stated that the bill would ensure that persons suffering from organ failure have access to available organs, adding that it would also ensure standard medical procedure for human organ harvest and transplant is followed.
“Part two of the bill deals with the creation of a department for the purpose of organ harvest and transplant in the ministry of health, who shall see to the affairs of organ harvest and transplant in the state. This part also talks about the Coordinator and other staff of the department. Also, it spells out the formation of the authorisation Committee, function of the Committee and State Register for organ harvest and transplant,” said Sokunle.
Contributing, Hon. Gbolahon Yishawu (Eti-Osa 2), said that the bill would help in putting a stop to organ trafficking, calling the attention of the House to the couching of the regulations which exempted the Commissioner for Health from following the regulations and approved law.
Yishawu noted that clauses which would shut out the House from investigating the activities should be avoided. “The way the bill is couched, there is alot of human rights issues therein. Although the bill falls under the Committee on Health, I will suggest that the Committee that handles human rights should also be involved in it,” he added.
Hon. Rotimi Olowo (Somolu 1) condemned the illegal act of harvesting organs for monetary gain, adding that the act cut across the sections of the country.
Olowo stated that the bill would put an end to harvesting of organs for financial gain and that it would also protect the minors and mentally-ill persons whose organs cannot be harvested without the consent of their next of kins.
Also, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Wasiu Sanni-Eshinlokun, lamented the high rate of organ trafficking in the country, adding that the bill is all encompassing and that it should be supported by all members.
The Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, described the bill as a product of deep reflection on the part of the state government, itemising the various areas involved in organ transplantation process.
Agunbiade added that the bill would improve the procedure and discourage the act of organ harvesting for financial gain. “The bill will ensure that organ transplanting is not all comers Affairs in the health sector in Lagos,” said Agunbiade.
However, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, said that the bill is the best thing that would happen to the state, adding that it would help those with terminal organ failure to still live, as there would be certified organ transplant for them.
Obasa said that the bill would as well criminalise the act of using organs for ritual purposes. “Those who illegally harvest organs for ritual purposes, with this bill, will face the full wrath of the law for such an act.
“The bill states the responsibilities of the donor and the recipient and those that will be in charge. I give my total support to the bill,” said Obasa.
The bill was, however, committed to the House Committee On Health Services for public hearing and to report back in two weeks.
