Chintan Shivir on technological, procedural and legislative reforms required to promote organ, tissue donation and transplantation held by MoH&FW

“Organ donation needs to become a way of life for us so that we can give a new lease of life to those suffering from organ failure,” stated L S Changsan, Addl. Secretary, MoH&FW, as she inaugurated the Chintan-Shivir on Reforms required for augmentation of organ and tissue donation and transplantation in terms of Technology, Processes and Legislation in India. Dr Atul Goel, Director General Health Services (DGHS); Dr Anil Kumar, Director, National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO); Vandana Jain, Joint Secretary, MoH&FW were among the dignitaries present at the occasion.

In her inaugural address, L S Changsan said that the Prime Minister has highlighted the importance of organ donation in his Mann Ki Baat programme and emphasised 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 stressed the need to promote organ donation to meet the huge need for organ donation in the country.

Underlining the government’s efforts for the cause, Changsan highlighted 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,” she said. Changsan highlighted that the government has already initiated an organ donation public awareness campaign called “Angdaan Jan Jagrukta Abhiyaan” which is actively underway in various states and institutions.

Dr Atul Goel, Director General Health Services (DGHS) said, “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”. He added, “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”.

The two-day Chintan Shivir covered important themes concerning organ donation and transplantation and various sub-themes. The specific objectives were:

• To discuss the reforms required for augmenting organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
• To explore and discuss advancements in technology that can improve organ donation and allocation processes.
• To propose recommendations for legislative reforms in order 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 sessions focused on themes such as plugging legal loopholes; One Nation, One Policy; ensuring transparency; improving the ecosystem, making organ transplants affordable, accessible, and equitable, and preparing a roadmap for the same. Representatives from States, NGOs, organ transplant societies, eminent transplant professionals, and experts from various government and private institutions participated in the Chintan Shivir.

Edits made by EH News Bureau