Centre to give 42 days special casual leave to its employees for organ donation

In a bid to promote organ donation among its employees, the Union Government will grant 42 days of special casual leave from now on considering the time taken for recovery after the surgery.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued the office memorandum on April 25, saying organ removal from a donor is a major surgery, which requires time for recovery, including both hospitalisation and post hospitalisation periods.

"Further, keeping in view the noble activity to help another human being and to promote organ donation among the central government employees, it has now been decided to grant a maximum of 42 days special casual leave to a central government servant for donating their organ(s) to another human being, as a special welfare measure in public interest," it said.

At present, an employee can take such special leaves for a period of 30 days only in a calendar year, as per the CCS (Leave) Rules 1972 regarding the grant of special casual leave.

An employee can avail 42 days special leave irrespective of the type of surgery for removal of organ as per the recommendation of a government registered medical practitioner or doctor.

"The leave shall be granted to all types of living donors provided that donor had been duly approved for donation by the government registered medical practitioner in accordance with the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994," it said.

The special casual leave shall not be combined with any other leave except in exceptional circumstances of complications of surgery on medical recommendation by the government registered medical practitioner/doctor, said the order issued to all central government departments/ministries.

Special casual leave shall normally be taken in one stretch starting from the day of admission in the hospital. However, in case of requirement, it can be availed starting maximum one week prior to surgery on the recommendation of government registered medical practitioner/doctor, it said. Flexibility or splitting of leaves may be permitted on the recommendation of treating government registered medical practitioner/doctor.

"Treatment in connection with organ donation shall as far as possible be done from any authorised hospital. In a case where no authorised hospital (government hospital or private hospital empanelled under Central Government Health Scheme or CGHS) is available in the area/ zone of treatment and the treatment is done from a private hospital, production of medical certificate duly certified by concerned HOD of the hospital is mandatory," it said.

The office memorandum said the Ministry of Personnel has been considering grant of special casual leave to organ donors in the light of several references/queries received, in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.