IEP CHANDIGARH
Reiterating its commitment to promote the noble cause on the eve of World Organ Day, ROTTO PGIMER launched an awareness campaign that witnessed an enthusiastic response. As many as 76 people pledged for organ donation and over 350 counselled at the Awareness cum Pledging Camp organised under the campaign at OPD Complex of Advanced Cardiac Centre here at PGIMER today.During the campaign, ROTTO representatives reached out to a maximum number of people including staff on duty, made them aware of the concept of brain death and the importance of organ donation cards as well as addressed their queries pertaining to myths and misconceptions.Expressing his views on the eve of World Organ Donation Day, Prof. Vivek Lal, Director PGIMER stated, “PGIMER owes its distinct place in organ transplantation to all the brave heart donor families. It was not possible to reach this far without the gritty decisions and selfless gestures of these donor families. Words fail to pay our tribute to their magnanimity.”We here at PGIMER are taking many initiatives to bridge the gap between the waiting list and the transplants. Earlier Kidney transplants were only performed by a single department. As the waiting list kept getting longer with the addition of more patients on a daily basis. So Dept of Urology has also been engaged in kidney transplants, Prof Vivek Lal added.”Expressing his views on the occasion of World Organ Donation Day, Prof. Vipin Koushal, Medical Superintendent cum Head, Deptt. of Hospital Administration, cum Nodal Officer, ROTTO PGIMER, stated, “The basic premise of observing World Organ Donation Day is to initiate the much-needed conversation in the society to dispel myths & misconceptions and disseminate correct information to promote the noble cause of Organ Donation. These initiatives definitely help in boosting the transplantation activity in the region and thereby, contribute to saving precious lives.”Endorsing the need for pledging for organ donation, Prof. Koushal further said, “We have also initiated a QR code so that it is easier for the general community to come forward and pledge their organs. Let’s be the change and take the first step of pledging for organ donation and be instrumental in saving precious lives.”Over the last few years, the number of deceased donor transplants has been steady in PGIMER because of the special impetus by the leadership as well as due to synergised efforts by the concerned departments. PGIMER has successful transplant programmes in kidney, pancreas, liver and heart as well as dual organ transplant programmes. To date, the transplants done by PGIMER include Kidney: 4786(Live 4215; Cadaver 571); Liver:77; Heart:8; Pancreas:41 and Cornea:6713.Despite the best of efforts, the waiting list in PGIMER is still very long with recipients in waiting being 3707 for Kidney, 2250 for Cornea, 55 for Liver and 72 for Pancreas as on date.PGIMER is also designated as Regional Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) under the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Programme (NOTP), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India. To promote the cause of organ donation, ROTTO has been proactively undertaking various initiatives like community connect programmes in collaboration with NGOs, student engagement activities, meets with different stake-holders including medical fraternity, police personnel and sensitisation sessions with religious leaders, thereby, building an enabling environment for deceased organ donation.
