Govt employees travelling for organ transplant can use private airlines when Air India services are not available: Finance Ministry

Taking a lenient view on government employees travelling for organ transplant, the Finance Ministry today said they can use private airlines in case Air India services are not available.

In an office memorandum, the Department of Expenditure said it has relaxed the norms as timely transportation of the patient or transportation of the organ is crucial, thus avoiding any delay because of non-availability of Air India flights.

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It said: “In view of the urgency involved in cases of harvesting of organs or transplantation of organs where speedy transportation of the patient or organs is involved, it is clarified that in all such cases travel by any airlines other than Air India, may be allowed to government servants.”

Government servants have to travel in Air India to avail reimbursement of travel expenses. The changes have been made following complaints received by Expenditure Department that government employees were facing hardship in obtaining ex-post-facto approval in cases where the services of private airlines were used.

According to reports, in India about 50,000 people are in need of heart transplant, around 3 lakh for kidney transplant, and a lakh each for liver and corneal transplants.