Delhi signs MoU with Centre to set up state level organ transplant body, streamline process

The MoU with the central government will bring several forms of support for Delhi, she said, adding this includes financial assistance for setting up and running SOTTO, one-time infrastructure support to establish offices and IT systems, and regular grants to cover manpower and operational costs

In a move aimed at streamlining organ donation and transplant coordination in the capital, the Delhi government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre under the National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP), paving the way for the establishment of a State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO).

Government hospitals in Delhi will also receive assistance to develop organ retrieval centres and transplant facilities, chief minister Rekha Gupta said. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/representative image)

Delhi will be able to streamline several key processes, including organ allocation and waiting list management, coordination between transplant hospitals and organ retrieval centres, promotion of deceased organ donation, and the creation of green corridors to transport organs swiftly when required after SOTTO comes into place, said officials.

The organisation will also maintain transplant records and ensure proper reporting of transplant activities.

Chief minister Rekha Gupta said organ transplantation in India currently functions under a three-tier framework established under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994 and the 2014 Rules.

At the national level, the system is managed by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), while Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) operate at the regional level and SOTTO at the state level.

“Until now, many coordination tasks related to organ transplant in Delhi were being carried out through NOTTO. However, despite the presence of a large number of transplant centres in the capital, a SOTTO had not yet been established. The setting up of SOTTO will create a separate and robust system at the state level to handle organ transplantation related tasks,” she said.

The MoU with the central government will bring several forms of support for Delhi, she said, adding this includes financial assistance for setting up and running SOTTO, one-time infrastructure support to establish offices and IT systems, and regular grants to cover manpower and operational costs.

Government hospitals in Delhi will also receive assistance to develop organ retrieval centres and transplant facilities, she said.