Prof. (Dr.) A.K.Gupta, Dean Research cum Medical Superintendent, PGIMER Chandigarh today said that the solution to bridge the ever widening gap between organ availability and organ requirement in India is possible only through systematic strengthening of the deceased organ donation programme. He was speaking at an impressive Awareness Session on Organ Donation organised here at Government Medical College.The Awareness Session that witnessed the participation of over 300 medical professionals delegates from various medical streams was organized by State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO) J&K in collaboration with Regional Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO) PGIMER Chandigarh under the aegis of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India. “In our country with over 400 deaths a day or one life snuffed out every 3.6 minutes in road accidents, deceased donor transplantation offers a second chance of life for many, but there is burgeoning gap between organ availability and requirement because potential donor do not get converted into actual donors due to the lack of knowledge and information.” added Prof. Gupta. Detailing about the key legal issues and challenges for initiating the deceased donation programme in a hospital, Prof. Gupta outlined a roadmap which emphasized the need for developing adequate infrastructure, training and sensitization of ICU/Emergency Staff, registration of hospitals as retrieval/transplantation centres, better reporting of brain death cases and the most importantly, public education about the cause.Setting the context of the Awareness Session, Prof. (Dr.) Shashi Sudan Sharma, Principal & Dean, Govt. Medical College, Jammu stated, “Nothing can be more self-less than truly giving those in need, a ray of hope and more precisely, a second chance to live.”Endorsing the need for engagement by medical professionals, Principal & Dean, Govt. Medical College, Jammu highlighted, “In our country where over 5 lakh people are waiting for organ transplant, awareness about the cause can play a savior for those suffering from organ failure and living in constant pain.”
Reflecting on the key initiatives undertaken by State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO) J&K, Prof. Elias Sharma, Nodal Officer, SOTTO J&K said that the state really needs to improve the rate of organ donation. The Government has taken some positive steps However, synergized efforts and engagement of the civil society, religious leaders and other stakeholders are required for creating mass awareness about the cause."Commending PGIMER for their pioneer work in the field of deceased donation, Saryu D.Madra, Consultant (IEC/Media) ROTTO PGIMER Chandigarh shared, “As a country we have really lagged behind in putting in the confidence that the organs can be donated. So continuous and periodical sensitization on this altruistic cause of organ donation must be enhanced predominantly.”Earlier, setting the tone of the Session, Prof. S.L. Kachroo, Joint Director, SOTTO J&K said. “The Session was conceived with intent to build up focus on this altruistic cause of organ donation by engaging with medical fraternity from various streams to help boost the donation/retrieval/transplantation activity in the Medical College and thereby, help saving precious lives.”Aptly wrapping up, Dr. Irfan Lone, Transplant Coordinator, SOTTO J&K expressed his gratitude towards ROTTO PGIMER for supporting their endeavor and assured of GMC Jammu’s commitment to take forward the national mandate by launching an awareness campaign in GMC Jammu as a precursor.Commemorating the spirit, Prof. Gupta gifted painting to Prof. (Dr.) Shashi Sudan Sharma and other dignitaries made by school students on the theme of Organ Donation under ROTTO PGIMER’s Student Engagement Project, as a token to reiterate the fact that ‘circle of life’ should not break.The highlight of the event was the QA session that saw a very high level of engagement and interaction by the participants, who found the Awareness Session an enriching experience.The Session was attended by Ashwini Khajuria, Administrator GMC & AH; Prof. Vijay Kundal, HOD Medicine; Prof. Subhash Bhardwaj, HOD Pathology; Prof. Rajiv Gupta, HOD P&SM; Prof. Rakesh Behl, Associate Professor P&SM, Dr. Kailash Thakur, Assistant Professor, Surgery and other senior faculty members, Staff from Planning Section GMC Jammu; Medical Professionals and students from AMT School Bakshi Nagar Jammu.