Patna: On the occasion of World Organ Donation Day, the Department of Nephrology at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), in collaboration with the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO) Bihar, organised an awareness programme at the hospital’s OPD campus on Thursday.
The event brought together medical experts and coordinators, including Dr Om Kumar, Dean of Academics and Head of Nephrology at IGIMS; Prof. Dr Manish Mandal, Chairman of SOTTO; Dr Rohit Upadhyay of the Department of Urology; Dr Pritpal of Nephrology; and other representatives from SOTTO, including Ekta, Jaspal Singh, and Seema Kumari.
The programme began with a welcome address by Dr Prem Shankar, followed by Prof. Mandal’s talk on the critical need for organ donation. “Patients waiting for transplants cannot receive organs unless we step forward. Awareness is the first step,” he said. “Living donors can contribute a kidney or a portion of their liver, while organs from brain-dead donors can save the lives of at least eight people.”
Dr Om Kumar highlighted the urgency of organ donation, noting that human organs cannot be manufactured. “After death, these organs are of no use to us, but through donation, at least eight lives can be saved. Among the 130 kidney transplants conducted so far at IGIMS, women have been the majority of donors,” he added.
Dr Rohit Upadhyay emphasised expanding transplant facilities and increasing public awareness. Dr Pritpal echoed this sentiment, pointing out that most of the kidney transplants at IGIMS have involved living donors, and urged the public to consider donating even in cases of brain death to save more lives.
Ekta, an eye consultant at SOTTO, outlined the organ donation process, explaining that anyone over 18 can register by submitting Form 7 at www.notto.abdm.gov.in. Jaspal Singh, SOTTO’s transplant coordinator, highlighted the availability of cornea, kidney, liver, and heart transplant facilities at IGIMS, which was the first centre to conduct organ transplants in Bihar.
