State finally gets its SOTTO operational

PANJIM: Goa got its own State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) – ‘Nave Jivit’ – A New Life, a deceased donor transplant programme, at Goa Medical College (GMC), at Bambolim, on Wednesday.  

Inaugurating SOTTO, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, “We have to talk about organ donation because of lifestyle diseases and ailments requiring organ transplantation are increasing. Unless a situation arises in our family, where a person requires an organ transplant, people don’t realise the value of organ donation,” he said.

The HLA Lab – Histocompatibility and Transplant Immunology – was also inaugurated and the web portal of SOTTO launched.  

Rane said there is long way ahead and many challenges with regard to organ donation. “There is need to counsel families on the importance of organ donation. Goa can further improvise and ensure that Goa’s SOTTO becomes one of the best in the country,” he added. 

Health Secretary Nila Mohanan said there is need to create awareness in public consciousness among Goans on the importance of organ donation.

GMC Dean Dr S M Bandekar welcomed the gathering. NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation) Director Dr Vasanthi Ramesh, SOTTO Joint Director Dr Preeti Varghese and Health Services Director Dr Jose De Sa were also present.

In August 2018, the High Court of Bombay at Goa had directed the State and Central governments to take steps to make SOTTO expeditiously functional within four months.

There are people in the fourth stage of renal failure, which necessitates kidney transplant. Yet, most of them have to endure chronic kidney disease for none of their families are willing donate organs. Having a cadaveric transplant facility in the State will help such patients, as also others who are in need of other organ transplant.