New Delhi, Aug. 8 -- Female patients and relatives of deceased donors on organ transplant waiting lists will get priority status as beneficiaries, with the health ministry taking steps to encourage donations and correct a gender imbalance among recipients.

The two provisions are part of a 10-point advisory issued by the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) to augment organ donation and transplantation in the country. NOTTO was set up under the Directorate General of Health Services of the health ministry.

The objective is to "make provision to give additional points in the allocation criteria for female patients in the waiting list for deceased donor organ transplants, so as to address gender disparity" and to "make p...