National Biomaterial Centre has been established at National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, an organisation under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and is fully functional. As of now 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.

The Government of India is implementing National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) to promote organ donation across the country. This is on the backdrop of various challenges faced for organ donations such as:

    • High Burden (Demand Versus Supply gap)

    • Poor Infrastructure especially in Govt. sector hospitals

    • Lack of Awareness of concept of Brain Stem Death among stakeholders

    • Poor rate of Brain Stem Death Certification by Hospitals

    • Poor Awareness and attitude towards organ donation--- Poor Deceased Organ donation rate

    • Lack of Organized systems for organ procurement from deceased donor

    • Maintenance of Standards in Transplantation, Retrieval and Tissue Banking

    • Prevention and Control of Organ trading

    • High Cost (especially for uninsured and poor patients)

    • Regulation of Non- Govt. Sector

Objectives of National Organ Transplant Programme

    • To organize a system of organ and Tissue procurement & distribution for transplantation.

    • To promote deceased organ and Tissue donation.

    • To train required manpower.

    • To protect vulnerable poor from organ trafficking.

    • To monitor organ and tissue transplant services and bring about policy and programme corrections/ changes whenever needed.

Under this programme, an apex level National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) at New Delhi and Five Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (ROTTOs) at Chandigarh, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Guwahati have been set up.

About National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO)

National Network division of NOTTO would function as apex centre for all India activities of coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of organs and tissues and registry of Organs and Tissues Donation and Transplantation in country.

Functions at national level

    • Lay down policy guidelines and protocols for various functions.

    • Network with similar regional and state level organizations.

    • All registry data from States and regions would be compiled and published.

    • Creating awareness, promotion of deceased organ donation and transplantation activities.

    • Co-ordination from procurement of organs and tissues to transplantation when organ is allocated outside region.

    • Dissemination of information to all concerned organizations, hospitals and individuals.

    • Monitoring of transplantation activities in the regions and States and maintaining data-bank in this regard.

    • To assist the states in data management, organ transplant surveillance & Organ transplant and Organ Donor registry.

    • Consultancy support on the legal and non-legal aspects of donation and transplantation

    • Coordinate and Organize trainings for various cadre of workers.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.)