BHUBANESWAR: The much-awaited cadaveric organ transplantation in the State is going to be a reality soon. The State Government has directed officials to expedite process for setting up State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.
At a review meeting chaired by Health Secretary Dr Pramod Meherda here on Friday, it has been decided to make the SOTTO functional on a priority basis within 100 days.
Though SCB Medical College and Hospital has been performing renal transplantation, it lacks organ compatibility testing facilities. Once the SOTTO is set up, cadaveric organ donation and transplantation can be facilitated.
The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has already approved functioning of the transplant organisation at SCB medical campus and sanctioned `42.84 lakh, including recurring expenditure of `24.45 lakh, for the purpose in 2019-20.
While SOTO will allocate organs, the State Government can issue license to other health care units having advanced facilities to retrieve organs. After the license is issued, health care facilities can also start accumulating recipients.
State nodal officer for cadaveric transplantation programme and head of Nephrology Department Prof Chittaranjan Kar said required infrastructure is being readied.
“Two sets of brain death committee have already been formed as per the guideline. National Informatics Centre has been urged to prepare a unique software and integrate it with a separate website for online coordination,” Prof Kar said.
Dr Meherda reviewed ongoing works and directed completion of the process for appointment of manpower as per the approval of the Government. The SOTTO will also facilitate liver transplantation at SCB Medical College and Hospital which is long due. While equipment have been procured since 2013, staff have been trained for liver transplantation.