The Andhra Pradesh High Court has pulled up the State government for its inaction on a 2016 Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that raises concerns over the acute shortage of medical centers capable of conducting organ transplants.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Ravi Cheemalapati on Tuesday directed the Department of Health, Medical and Family Welfare to file a detailed reply, noting that despite the PIL being pending for nearly eight years, no response had been filed so far.

“The issue raised in the present petition is quite important and relevant and highlights the lack of centres which cater to organ transplants in the State of Andhra Pradesh,” the Court observed.

The petition, filed by the voluntary organization Gareeb Guide, points out that out of 80 teaching hospitals in the State, only nine offer organ transplant facilities—and all of them are in the private sector. Not a single government hospital currently provides such a critical service, the petitioner submitted.

The counsel further argued that while thousands of patients are awaiting organ transplants, the number of registered donors is a mere 100. This scarcity, the petition claims, is due to either the lack of transplant infrastructure or a general lack of public awareness about organ donation.

The government’s counsel requested additional time to file an effective reply to the petition.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on November 12.

Case Title: Gareeb Guide (Voluntary Organization) v. State of Andhra Pradesh & Others
Case No.: WP(PIL) No. 93 of 2016