PANJIM: The State government has initiated steps to set up a State Organ Transplantation Organization (SOTTO) with Goa Medical College’s Medical Superintendent S Bandekar appointed as its nodal officer. The government has also identified an office space within the medicine block of the hospital until completion of the construction of the Super Specialty Block. 

The submission was placed before the High Court of Bombay at Goa by Health (Secretary) Ashok Kumar on Thursday, which came in response to a petition by Mango Foundation that seeks to direct the State and Central governments to notify Goa Medical College as SOTTO with a criteria based transparent waiting lists for organs and linking it to the Regional and State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO), Western Region and National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO).  

“Two rooms are identified for SOTTO at 5th floor of the Medicine Block, GMC. Dr S M Bandekar, GMC MS is appointed as the nodal officer for SOTTO. The present status of the construction of the super specialty block is 18 percent (complete) as on date and the work is in full swing. The block will have facility of kidney transplant, liver transplant, lung transplant and heart transplant,” stated the reply to division bench of the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court Naresh Patil and Justice M S Sonak. 

The GMC already has the facility for kidney and cornea transplant, the reply further said. 

The court had earlier this month directed the State to make SOTTO functional within four months. The health secretary’s reply has assured the bench to ensure compliance within the stipulated timeframe. 

As a part of its move to create SOTTO, the government has also proposed the Inter Departmental Committee of Officers for creation of regular posts for office of junior director (technical in-charge), consultant (IEC/Media), consultant cum transplant coordinator, programmer assistant cum data entry operator and driver (on call through outsourcing).

Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande had last December submitted to the court that its proposal was pending before the Union Ministry and the State had done everything from its side to set up SOTTO. Advocate Wilbur Menezes, appearing for the petitioner has expressed dissatisfaction that central government has till date not taken any steps for the purpose.  The court has adjourned the matter for next hearing on February 27.