In 2022 more than 15,000 organ transplant recorded in India: Union health secretary
New Delhi, February 19: In a recent study conducted, it has come to notice that India has witnessed a fast resurgence in organ transplant activities post COVID-19. It is for the first time that more than 15,000 organ transplants took place in the year 2022, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said on Sunday.
There was an event organised where all the stake holders were under one roof and they brainstormed the ideas about interventions and best practices in the field of organ and tissue transplant that can be taken up for saving lives.
It was also noticed that there was an increase of 27 per cent in the transplant numbers, Bhushan said at the "National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) Scientific Dialogue 2023", organised by the Union Ministry of Health.
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In the event, the health secretary underlined three priority areas -- programmatic restructuring, communication strategy and skilling of professionals.
Highlighting the need to update the existing structures and guidelines, he said, "Though we have existing structures at various governance levels like NOTTO at the national level, SOTTOs at the state level and ROTTOs at the regional level, it needs to be ensured that they work as a well-oiled machinery while performing their mandate."
The changes that took place were welcomed by Bhushan, such as updated guidelines and the domicile requirement being done away with.
He also said, there is a need for country's technical manpower and training and channelising them efficiently, along with optimal utilisation of the physical infrastructure and equipment.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan also highlighted the need for capacity building of the country's medical institutions, "Despite having 640-plus medical hospitals and colleges, transplants remain a specialised service limited to some hospitals only. There is a need to expand the number of institutions where surgeries and transplants are undertaken."
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