“National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization” (NOTTO), a national network of transplant and retrieval hospitals and tissue banks, was established at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, under the national organ transplant program. NOTTO also launched a website, www.notto.abdm.gov.in, on 17th September 2023. Through this website, people willing to donate the deceased person’s organs can register themselves. Nationally, people waiting for organs, transplant cases, and organ donors can register themselves. A national organ transplant program was implemented by the government of India to promote organ donation so that people suffering from organ failure can easily access the deceased person’s organs.
To reach out to the country’s eastern, western, northern, and southern regions, five Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (ROTTOs) at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Chennai, and Guwahati have been established. 21 State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (SOTTOs) have been established, with an aim to establish State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (SOTTOs) in every state. Complete and detailed information on organ donation and other facilities is available on the website www.notto.mohfw.gov.in. Apart from the website, a helpline number of 1800114770 is available 24/7 for additional details.
The specific objectives for the Chintan Shivir are:
To discuss the reforms required for augmenting organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
To explore and discuss technological advancements that can improve organ donation and allocation processes.
To propose recommendations for legislative reforms to strengthen the existing legal framework related to organ donation and transplantation.
To provide an enabling environment for organ donation and allocation by ameliorating existing technologies involved in the process.
The other dignitaries present at the launch of Chintan Shivir were Prof. (Dr.) Atul Goel, Director of General Health Services (DGHS), Dr. Anil Kumar, Director, National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), and Ms. Vandana Jain, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
During the inauguration, while addressing, Ms. L. S. Changsan was quoted as saying “Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has highlighted the importance of organ donation in his Mann Ki Baat program and emphasized the fact that one person donating organs after death can give a new lease of life to up to eight patients suffering from various organ failures.” She further said that it is important that awareness be spread to promote organ donation, as there is a huge demand for organ donation in the country.
During the address, she further underlined the government's "One Nation, One Policy" by mentioning that “the Government of India has adopted a policy of "One Nation, One Policy" for organ donation and transplantation and has also started the consultation process with the state governments in this regard. Our focus is to improve the availability of infrastructure and trained manpower for organ transplantation, especially in government institutions.”
“NOTTO has taken the lead in the field of organ and tissue transplant in India. The Chintan Shivir provides an opportunity for introspection to put systems in place. In our nation, we have had a tradition of giving, i.e., altruism. While we have live donations, we need to encourage deceased donations as much as possible both in government and private hospitals.”Prof. (Dr.) Atul Goel, Director General Health Services (DGHS)
Ms. L. S. Changsan also put the spotlight on the “Angdaan Jan Jagrukta Abhiyaan," which is an organ donation public awareness campaign carried out in various institutes and states across the country.
For the Chintan Shivir, representatives from states, NGOs, organ transplant societies, eminent transplant professionals, and experts from various government and private institutions took part. It was carried out to ensure that organ transplants are affordable, easily accessible, and the process is transparent.
(Input from various media sources)
(Rehash/PIB/Dr. Siddiqua Parveen/MSM)