People ready to donate organs, need to improve facilities:

Union Health Minister J P Nadda today called for strengthening organ retrieval and transplantation facilities to bridge the gap between demand and supply of human organs.
Nadda stressed that even though people are willing to donate organs, there is lack of proper channels to do so.
"People are ready to donate, but we have to improve the facilities. We have to strengthen infrastructure and increase the capacity to see that organ retrieval and transplantation are happening in right direction. There is a huge gap in demand and supply of human organs for transplantation.
"Today if there is a requirement of two lakh kidneys, we are able to provide only 6000-7000 donations. Again, if the requirement of liver is 30,000 we are able to do only 1500. Similarly, there is close to 50,000 people who need heart transplant but we are able to cater to only 100 people," Nadda said on the occasion of 7th Indian Organ Donation Day.

While stressing on creating awareness among people, Nadda said that trauma centre units and ICU facilities are potential retrieval centres and they should be linked with hospitals having transplantation facility.
"Here NGOs, coordinators and counsellors can play a vital role. We need counsellors and coordinators at trauma care units and ICUs at the right time for giving the right suggestion to save a life," he said.

Referring to the Prime Minister's pitch for organ donation in his 'Mann Ki Baat', Nadda said that within a short span of one year, organ donation has turned into a mass movement.
"Even during this organ donation week, several programmes were organised that witnessed participation in large numbers. It shows people are ready to be a part of this movement.

"The number of registered donors was 10,000 in March, it is now over than one lakh and it is our target to take it over 20 lakhs by 2017," he said.
(Reopens DES7)
Nadda informed that the government has taken various steps to simplify organ donation laws, rules and procedures, like National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation website (www.Notto.Nic.In) provides updated information and online facility for registering pledges for organ donation.
A 24x7 call centre with toll free helpline number (1800114770) has been established for providing information on organ donation and coordinating matters relating to retrieval and allocation of organs recovered from cadaver donors.

Faggan Singh Kulaste, MoS (Health) appealed to the people to come forward for organ donation without any fear. Kulaste said many myths and misconceptions surround organ donation.
"Sometimes even religion is referred to as forbidding organ donation and transplantation, which actually is contrary to the fact. Organ donation gets discouraged on the basis of superstitions. I salute all those who have shown courage to donate organ of their near and dear ones, and shown us a direction to emulate this brave act," Kulaste said.
Nadda also felicitated the states and individuals for their outstanding contribution towards organ donation.
Among the states Tamil Nadu got the best cadaver transplant performing state while Maharashtra received the award for best performance in the field of organ donation.

Madhya Pradesh got the best Emerging State award while Rajasthan received the award for another Emerging State. Among the hospitals, best hospital award was bagged by Ruby Hall Clinic from Pune and PGI Chandigarh and Apollo Hospital, Tamil Nadu bagged second and third price respectively.
Among the Emerging Hospitals, Choithram Hospital & Research Centre, Madhya Pradesh received the first prize while SMS Hospital, Rajasthan got the price for second emerging hospital.