Lok Sabha Question No. 2104 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-29
Subject: National Human Organ Donation Bank
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Sarmistha Sethi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2104 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 th  July, 2022

## NATIONAL HUMAN ORGAN DONATION BANK

## 2104.   SHRIMATI SARMISTHA SETHI

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a). whether around five lakh people die every year in the country due to unavailability of organs and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b). whether  lack  of  knowledge,  awareness  and  infrastructure  are  the  major  reasons  to discourage organ donation in the country, if so, the details thereof;
- (c). the number of patients for kidney transplant each year in the country along with the number of kidneys available for such transplants;
- (d). whether  the  Government  is  having  any  proposal  to  set  up  National  Human  Organ Donation Bank to facilitate the transplantation of human organs without involvement of any middleman, if so, the details thereof;
- (e). whether the Government has prepared any scheme to incentivise organ transplant in the country and particularly in rural areas; and
- (f). if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government to popularise the scheme to create awareness among the citizens to ensure availability of organs?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a)  to  (c):  The  data  regarding  number  of  people  who  die  every  year  in  the  country  due  to unavailability  of  organs  is  not  available.  As  per  data  made  available  by  States/UTs  to National  Organ  and  Tissue  Transplant  Organisation  (NOTTO),  the  number  of  patients  for kidney  transplant  in  the  country  along  with  the  number  of  kidneys  available  for  such transplants are as under:

| Year   | Number of kidneys Number of kidneys Total Number   | Number of kidneys Number of kidneys Total Number   | Number of kidneys Number of kidneys Total Number   |
|--------|----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|
|        | Transplanted                                       | from Transplanted from                             | of kidneys                                         |
| 2019   | 1153                                               | 8613                                               | 9766                                               |
| 2020   | 532                                                | 4970                                               | 5502                                               |
| 2021   | 818                                                | 8254                                               | 9072                                               |

- (d) Organs  like  Heart,  Kidney,  Liver  etc.  need  to  be  transplanted  immediately  after retrieval. The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has a facility of National  Level  Tissue  Bank  (Biomaterial  Centre)  for  storing  tissues.  Under  the  National Organ  Transplant  Programme  (NOTP),  a  provision  has  been  made  for  providing  financial support to the States for setting up of Bio- material centre. A Regional Bio-material centre has  been  established  at  Regional  Organ  and  Tissue  Transplant  Organisation  (ROTTO), Chennai,  Tamil  Nadu.  Further,  funds  have  been  released  to  the  State  of  Bihar  and Maharashtra for establishment of Bio-material Centre under NOTP.
- (e) The Government of India has the National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) to promote  organ  donation  and  transplantation  across  the  country.  The  provisions  under  the programme include financial support for:
-  Setting  up  of  State  Organ  and  Tissue  Transplant  Organizations  (SOTTOs)  in  each State/UT.
-  Setting up of National/ Regional/State Bio-material centres;
-  Establishing  new  Organ  Transplant/retrieval  facilities  and  strengthening  of  existing Organ Transplant/retrieval facilities.
-  Provision of Transplant Coordinators to medical colleges and trauma centres.
-  Maintenance of deceased donor
-  Dignified funeral of deceased donor
-  Post transplant immune-suppressant drugs to BPL patients.

Under  this  programme,  an  apex  level  National  Organ  and  Tissue  Transplant  Organisation (NOTTO)  at New  Delhi, five Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations

(ROTTOs)  and  sixteen  State  Organ  and  Tissue  Transplant  Organizations  (SOTTOs)  have been established.

(f) The NOTTO, ROTTOs and SOTTOs disseminate relevant information about organ donation in the public. A website www.notto.gov.in and a 24x7 call centre with a toll free helpline  number  (1800114770)  have  been  made  operational.  A  number  of  activities,  for generating  awareness  and  for  imparting  training  to  all  those  associated  with  transplant including doctors and transplant coordinators, such as celebration of Indian Organ Donation Day,  seminars,  workshops,  debates,  sports  events,  walkathons,  participation  in  marathons, nukkad  natak,  etc.  are  organized  at  different  places  in  the  Country.  Awareness  activities through advertisement in print media, audio-visual messages and expert talks on Doordarshan and other television channels are carried out in this regard. Jan Andolan for creating Organ donation awareness and pledging in the form of social media campaign has been carried out as part of Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate 75th anniversary of independence of country.

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