Experts in the medical profession noted that more people signing up for organ donation will not result in more lives being saved in the lack of suitable infrastructure because Assam has no cadaveric transplant facilities, with the exception of cornea. However, in the state, where only living-donor kidney transplant facilities are now accessible, awareness-raising campaigns for organ donation have gained steam.
“It is true that there is no cadaveric transplant facility yet, but work to set up one here is at an advanced stage,” Dr Achyut Chandra Baishya, the principal of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, told PTI.
“The state government has sent a communiqué in this regard, and we can expect an official notification soon,” he added.
According to an official source, the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organization (ROTTO), Guwahati, was forced to halt its operations a few years ago when “some irregularities” were discovered about its contractual personnel.
These problems have since been overcome, and the source stated that GMCH is awaiting government approval before making new hires. ROTTO is a regional office of the National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organization (NOTTO), which is the top organisation in charge of coordinating all national organ donation-related activities.
(source : PTI)
