World Organ Donation Day celebrated at PGIMER
149 pledge for Organ Donation at the Awareness Camp
Brainstorming Session on Organ Session witnesses enthusiastic response
CHANDIGARH: 13 Aug.: Lauding the efforts of ROTTO (North) & PGIMER team involved in the transplantation process on World Organ Donation Day, Prof. Jagat Ram, Director, PGIMER stated, “Complimented by the awareness initiatives of ROTTO (North), PGIMER’s team of experts right from neuro-surgeons, intensivists, transplant coordinators, transplant surgeons, testing labs and nursing units have enabled PGIMER accomplish a distinct place in Organ Transplantation in the region. But it was not possible to reach this far without the gritty decisions and selfless gestures of the donor families, which in fact, sustain the organ donation programme.”
Marking the observance of World Organ Donation Day, ROTTO North in collaboration with Deptt. of Hospital Administration, PGIMER also organised an extremely engaging brain storming session themed ‘Promoting Organ Donation : Challenges & Solutions’. The session presided over by Prof. A.K. Gupta, Medical Superintendent cum Head, Deptt. of Hospital Administration, PGIMER witnessed very enthusiastic response among faculty and resident doctors.
Another initiative, Awareness & Pledging Camp organised to mark the observance of World Organ Donation Day by ROTTO (NORTH) here in new Nehru Hospital Extension here in PGIMER today also saw garnered huge traction with 149 pledging for Organ Donation.
Expressing his happiness at the initiatives, Prof. A.K.Gupta stated, “The spirit behind observance of World Organ Donation Day is to disseminate correct information to promote the noble cause of Organ Donation. These awareness and engagement initiatives definitely help in boosting the transplantation activity in the region and thereby, contribute to saving precious lives.”
Prof. Gupta further stated, “However, these social endeavors to mobilize public opinion on deceased donor organ/tissue transplantation have to be supported by highly professional and zealous clinical endeavours to make the organ transplant a success story and give someone a second lease of life.”
Prof. Vipin Koushal, Nodal Officer, ROTTO PGIMER, while sharing his perspective, stated “The Government through National programme on Organ & Tissue Transplant (NOTP) has been endorsing the concept of deceased donor transplantation to overcome the problems of shortage of organs. The main source of these organs is donation after brain death, the commonest cause of which is head injury sustained during road accidents. In our country with very high rate of road accidents, deceased donor transplantation offers a chance of treatment for many citizens. Hence any and every initiative to promote the cause matters because of its outreach impact.”
During the Camp at NHE, ROTTO team reached out to maximum number of people including staff on duty, made them aware about the concept of brain death and importance of organ donation card as well as addressed their queries pertaining to myths and misconceptions. As an outcome, 149 people including hospital staff registered themselves as organ donors.
There were some touching moments at the Camp as some of those who registered as organ donors narrated how either their family member or friend or acquaintance is suffering from the agonizing pain of the life in waiting for transplant. There were also motivating incidents where some families of Chandigarh who had come to PGIMER for COVID 19 vaccination today also registered themselves as organ donors.
Over the last few years, the number of deceased donor transplants have 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. The Department of Renal Transplant Surgery has also perfectly placed pancreas transplant program. Till date, the transplants done by PGIMER include: Kidney:4302 (Live 3849; Cadaver 453); Liver:53; Heart:6; Pancreas:27 and Cornea:6057.
Despite best of the efforts, the waiting list in PGIMER is still very long with recipients in waiting being 2250 for Kidney, 2800 for Cornea, 15 for Liver and 15 for Pancreas as on date.
PGIMER is also designated as Regional Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) under National Organ & Tissue Transplant Programme (NOTP), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India. To promote the cause of organ donation, ROTTO is 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 and today’s initiative was a step forward in that direction only.
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