A call centre has been established for providing information on organ donation and coordinating matters relating to retrieval and allocation of organs recovered from donors.
In a bid to boost to cadaver donation in the country, ministry of health and family welfare has set up a 24×7 toll free helpline number: 1800114770.
A call centre has been established for providing information on organ donation and coordinating matters relating to retrieval and allocation of organs recovered from donors. According to experts, this is a welcome move as on several occasions relatives want to donate organ or the whole body of their kin but they do not have proper information.
The trend of cadaver donations has always been uneven in the city. As per Zonal Transplantation Co-ordination committee (ZTCC) Mumbai, in 2012, there were 27 donations, while in 2013 it dropped to 24. In 2014, the city saw as many as 41 donations which benefited 107 people. In 2015, there were 44 donations that helped 114 people. In 2016, till May, there have been 21 cadaver donations.
The helpline number is available round the clock where any one can get the information regarding the cadaver donation. "This is a welcome move. Now, the government has to publish this number at all hospitals across the country. They should also publicise it through mass media," said Dr Anil Pachnekar, office bearer, Indian Medical Association.
Apart from this, the government has also set up five regional level organizations called Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO) identified in the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal and union territory of Chandigarh for networking and coordinating procurement and distribution of organs.
ROTTO is expected to help a number of poor patients in need of a transplant. They also provide monetary benefit through government schemes. Also, through ROTTO, transplant coordinators can be provided in every hospital to help those in need.
"We need to create awareness about this number. Personally, I expect a good response from this number. If we have a query regarding cadaver donation we can contact the same number and try to convince them. This will definitely boost cadaver donations," said Dr Sujata Patwardhan, secretary, ZTCC.
She added: "The hotline number is not only for the general people who want to donate organs but doctors and transplant co-ordinators can also use this number."
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