Goemakrponn desk
PANAJI: As part of a series of information campaign drives being conducted by the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation, Goa (SOTTO) an awareness session on Organ and Tissue Transplant was held for the staff members of the Department of Information and Publicity in the office premises today.
Joint Director, SOTTO, Dr Preeti Varghese and Consultant, IEC (Media and Publication), Smt Shraddha Kerkar gave detailed information about Deceased Donor Transplantation Programme, “Nave Jivit” “Nave Life” and appealed to be an Organ Donor to save precious lives of others from diseases like heart, lungs, kidney, liver failure besides corneal blindness, valvular heart disease, severe burns and traumatic amputation of hands.
Smt Shraddha Kerkar who delivered the talk said, Organ or Tissue Donation is a noble act, which gives an opportunity to save lives after death. She said Living Organ Donation and Deceased Organ Donation are the two types of Organ Donation. In living organ donation a person, not less than 18 years of age during his life can voluntarily authorize the removal of organs for therapeutic purposes within the legal framework of the country.
While in Deceased Organ Donation, a person regardless of age can donate multiple organs or tissues and give life to many patients after brain-stem or cardiac death Smt Kerkar said.
Smt Kerkar also informed that the State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization was set up at Goa Medical College in October 2019 under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Goa. Currently, there are 63 patients registered on the waiting list ‘NAVE JIVIT’ Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant Programme of Goa. Till now, 5 Deceased Donor Organ Transplants have been performed in Goa Medical College and 18 Organs are donated 10 Kidneys, 4 Livers, 3 Hearts, and 1 Lung was donated.
A total of 30 kidney transplants have been performed at Goa Medical College free of Cost to date she said.
Regarding the legal framework, Dr Preeti Varghese said that the Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA) 1994 regulates the removal, storage and transplantation of organs for therapeutic purposes and prevents commercial dealings in human organs. Goa State has adopted amendment 2011 THOTA and THOA Rules 2014 Dr Varghese said.
To date, SOTTO has conducted awareness sessions for seven Government Departments with thrust on targeted groups such as schools, colleges and social groups Dr Varghese informed.
The staff of DIP who participated in the awareness session interacted with the consultant Mrs Kerkar and Dr Varghese on various aspects related to organ donation to gain knowledge.
Earlier Information Officer, Shri Prakash Naik welcomed the Resource Persons and thanked them for providing valuable insights on organ donation to the staff members on the important topic aimed at saving the lives of others by donating organs.
