Organ Donation and Transplantation in India: The Role of a Medical Social Worker in a Hospital Setting

Abstract

Organ donation and transplantation is a relevant area which requires more
deliberation and action. The increased organ trafficking in the field of
organ donation and transplantation has made the role of a medical social
worker crucial. Apart from the legal workup and counselling, the medical
social worker also plays an important role in the areas of administration,
assessment, intervention and evaluation within the legal aspect of the
healthcare system. This article highlights the different roles of the medical
social worker in the healthcare system, along with the legal process of organ
donation and transplant in India with the support of three case studies. The
article also throws a light on the need to have continuous training and valueadded
programmes for medical social workers to keep them up to date.