On August 8, 2015, Times of India hosted a round table wherein representatives of DGHS ( Director General of Health Services) and NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization) along with doctors from public as well private hospitals submitted their recommendations to Honorable Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda to promote organ donations and transplants in India at The Times House, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi.
Times of India has launched a 13 day long campaign on August 1, 2015 ( third year in a row) on organ donation titled, 'Call for Action,' that would culminate on August 13, 2015, which would be observed as Organ Donation Day. The objective of the campaign is to create awareness around organ donation and get more people to register as donors. The roundtable discussion with the health Minister was part of this ongoing event and the agenda of the meeting was, 'Building a National Registry and other steps towards safe and fast Organ Donation.'
The participants who attended the discussion were Dr. N.S.Dharmshaktu (Addl DG, DGHS), Dr. Saudan Singh (Director, NOTTO), Dr. Harsh Jauhari (Technical Advisor, NOTTO), Dr. Santosh Shetty (ED & COO, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital), Dr. Dinesh Khullar (Director & HOD-Nephrology & Kidney Transplant Medicine, Max Hospital) and Dr. Anil Aggarwal (Chief of GI Surgey & Liver Transplantation, GB Pant Hospital). The discussion was moderated by Ms. Pallavi Kumar (Executive Director, MOHAN Foundation Delhi-NCR).
Shri J.P. Nadda in his address stressed on the need for a mass movement to promote organ donations across the country and save lives. He further added that the government would take steps within a week to develop a policy mechanism and address the institutional gaps. The act of giving life, he said, should be turned into a year-round movement. Sh Nadda said his ministry would hold detailed consultations with all stakeholders and initiate steps to institutionalize the process of organ donation and transplantation. Highlighting the gaps in awareness on the issue, Nadda said an all-inclusive approach was needed. "We cannot compartmentalize issues. We should strategize in a holistic manner to create more social awareness and simultaneously build capacity and address logistics and legal issues," he said.
Dr. Santosh Shetty said that the largest pool of donors are in government hospitals. However, many organs are wasted in the absence of facilities for transplants. Dr. N.S.Dharmshaktu emphasised on all India campaign and said that Centre needs to encourage more states to take proactive measures to promote organ donation and transplant. Representatives from NOTTO also sought autonomy for the body in order to take quick decisions when lives are at stake. Dr Khullar said there was a need to accept that the program is lacking some essential ingredients for it to reach the next level and learning from successful states is a must.
The roundtable discussion concluded with the Health Minister assuring all the stakeholders that the ministry would soon devise a system for regularly holding such stakeholders consultations to address these concerns and develop a policy mechanism to promote organ donations and transplants across the country.
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