Is India Ready For ‘Posthumous Presumed Consent’ For Corneal Retrieval?

Abstract

The Government of India is considering introduction of posthumous presumed consent for corneal retrieval as a way to address the gap between the demand and availability of corneal tissues to combat correctable blindness. While countries like Spain and Austria have successfully increased donation rates through such laws, India faces peculiar challenges in adopting this system. These include religious diversity, socio-cultural sensitivities, and public mistrust due to past incidents of tissue and organ trafficking etc to name a few. Transparency, public awareness, and community engagement are essential to foster acceptance of presumed consent in a culturally diverse nation like India. While the opt-in model remains the preferred approach, implementing presumed consent requires careful groundwork, including legislative reforms, public education, and pilot projects in selected regions before it can be introduced nationwide.