Lok Sabha Question No. 5049 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-31
Subject: National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO)
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Sunil Dattatray Tatkare, Dhanush M Kumar, C.N. Annadurai, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Ganesan Selvam, Manjulata Mandal, Supriya Sadanand Sule, Amol Ramsing Kolhe, DNV Senthilkumar. S.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5049 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31 ST  MARCH, 2023

## NATIONAL ORGAN AND TISSUE TRANSPLANT ORGANISATION (NOTTO)

## 5049.  SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE:

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR:

SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI:

DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE:

SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA:

SHRI SELVAM G.:

SHRIMATI MANJULATA MANDAL:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:

DR. DNV SENTHILKUMAR S.:

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

- (a) whether the Government has organized National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization Scientific dialogue 2023 recently;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of participants who have participated in the dialogue and the issues discussed thereof;
- (c) the challenges faced by the Government in achieving more than 15,000 transplants in a year;
- (d) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  Government  despite  having  640  medical  hospitals  and colleges, transplant remains a specialized service limited to some hospitals only and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  to  expand  the  number  of institutions where surgeries and transplants could take place across the country; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY

## ANSWER WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) and (b) The  Government  of  India  has  organized  National  Organ  and  Tissue  Transplant Organization Scientific dialogue 2023 on 19.02.2023 at New Delhi. A total of 519 participants took part in the dialogue.

The following issues were discussed in the event:

-  Challenges and way forward for Kidney Transplant/Liver transplant/Lung transplant/Heart Transplant/Hand Transplant/Skin bank/Eye bank.
-  Deceased donation programme in India.
-  Approaching Emergency, Pediatric and Burn patients in the Emergency department for organ donation.
-  Implementing triage in Emergency department.

(c) to (f) Health  is  a  state  subject.  It  is  for  the  respective  State/UT  to  develop  transplant facilities  in  medical  hospitals  and  colleges.  However,  the  Government  of  India  is  running National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) to promote organ donation and transplantation across the country. The three-tier structure set  up  under NOTP to provide for an efficient and organized system of organ procurement and distribution in the country includes an apex level National  Organ  and  Tissue  Transplant  Organization  (NOTTO)  at  New  Delhi,  five  Regional Organ  and  Tissue  Transplant  Organizations  (ROTTOs)  at  Chandigarh,  Mumbai,  Chennai, Kolkata  and  Guwahati  and  State  Organ  and  Tissue  Transplant  Organizations  (SOTTOs)  in twenty States. Under NOTP, financial assistance is provided to the States/Institutions so as to expand the number of institutions where surgeries and transplants could take place.

The major challenge faced by the Government of India in respect of organ donation/transplantation is the lack of awareness on the subject in the country. The Government is  taking  several  steps  to  increase  awareness  on  organ  donation  in  the  country.  These  include dissemination of information by NOTTO, ROTTOs and SOTTOs, the three tiered structure set up under NOTP; a website www.notto.gov.in; a 24x7 call centre with a toll free helpline number (1800114770)  to  provide  information,  tele-counseling  and  to  help  in  coordination  for  organ donation; a number of activities are organized across the country for generating awareness, such as  celebration  of  Indian  Organ  Donation  Day  annually,  seminars,  workshops,  debates,  sports events, walkathons, participation in marathons, nukkad natak, awareness stall in India International  Trade  Fair,2022,  NOTTO  Scientific  Dialogue,2023  etc;  display  boards  on  organ donation  are  put  up  outside  ICUs  and  other  strategic  locations  in  the  transplant/retrieval hospitals;  advertisement  in  print  media;  dissemination  of  audio  and  audio-visual  messages through  social  media  (Facebook,  Twitter,  You  Tube  Channel);  electronic  media  etc.;  regular programs are conducted with school children like visit to NOTTO campaign  for giving them the knowledge  about  organ  donation  and  conducting  competitions  like  poster  making  etc.  The government has decided to do away with the domicile requirement of the state for registration of patients requiring organ transplantation from deceased donor. Also, as per the new government guidelines,  the  upper  age  limit  of  65  years  for  eligibility  for  registration  to  receive  deceased donor organ has been removed. Now, a person of any age can register for receiving deceased donor organ.

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