New Delhi, Aug 10 (PTI) Women patients should be accorded priority in organ transplant waiting lists to check gender disparity, the Union Health Ministry has advised states.
It has also suggested that weightage be given to near relatives of deceased donors awaiting organ transplant.
These suggestions are part of an advisory issued by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) under the Health Ministry to all states and Union Territories on the 15th Indian Organ Donation Day on August 2 for augmentation of organ donation and transplantation in India.
The advisory called for honouring deceased organ donors and ensuring they receive a dignified funeral and felicitating the family members of deceased donors at public functions at state/district level on 15th August, 26 January, state foundation day etc.
“To make provision to give additional points in the allocation criteria for female patients in the waiting list for deceased donor organ transplants, so as to address gender disparity. To make provision that if a near relative of a previous deceased donor needs organ transplant, then he may be given priority,” the advisory said.
It also suggested developing facilities for organ and tissue retrieval in all trauma centres and register them as organ retrieval centre under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994. Similarly, states are advised to develop facilities for organ and tissue retrieval in their respective medical colleges in a phase- wise manner.
States were asked to take up training of emergency responders and ambulance staff for early identification of potential deceased donors especially among victims of road traffic accidents and stroke patients and alerting the organ donation coordinator in the hospital regarding the same.
The advisory also suggested appointment of a brand ambassador at state level to give a boost to the awareness generation activities.
It also stated that directions should be issued to hospitals/centres performing organ and tissue transplantation/retrieval or tissue banking to provide data of each donor and recipient of organ or tissue for the national registry maintained by NOTTO.
In case of non-compliance, states may consider taking action as per the Transplantation of Human Organ and Tissue (THOTA) Act, 1994.
In view of the pivotal role of transplant coordinators in the Organ Donation and Transplantation Program, the NOTTO also recommended creating permanent posts for them, in hospitals performing organ transplantation or organ retrieval.
Underlining the importance of organ donation, Union Health Minister J P Nadda at an event held recently said there is an alarming rise in the cases of organ failures posing a serious threat to public health and increasing strain on the healthcare system.
“Every year thousands of people wait for organ transplants. Despite the urgent need there remains a significant gap between the number of patients waiting for transplants and the number of available donors,” he said “This gap is not due to lack of willingness but often due to lack of awareness and hesitation rooted in myths and misconceptions,” he said. PTI PLB DV DV
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