PANAJI
The decision comes as an initiative by the association to promote organ donations from brain-dead patients.
Making the announcement, IMA president Dr Medha Salkar informed that the link would gather all those who are willing to donate their organs and register them with the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Association (NOTTA) that is involved in coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of organs and tissues and registry of Organs and Tissues Donation and Transplantation in
the country.
“We urge people to register on the portal because if they pledge their organs to be donated when they are alive, in the event of a brain-dead condition, it becomes easier to convince the relatives of the person to donate the organs,” said Dr Salkar.
Leading nephrologist Dr Amol Mahaldar said Goa lags far behind when it comes
to organ donations, more importantly in kidney transplantation.
“Today, there is the possibility of over 50 kidney transplants that can happen in the State itself, but sadly it doesn’t. Most kidney transplant cases are referred to other parts of the country. There are between 800 and a thousand people on dialysis and one fifth of these are fit for transplants but are referred to other parts of the country,” said Dr Mahaldar.
Under NOTTA, organs harvested from a brain dead patient are first referred to the State requirement of the organ and then through the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO) are referred to other hospitals that require the organ.
Currently the state health secretary is in possession of a proposal to set up a cross match lab that tests the organs tissue as well as a network including hospitals and the local police.
