NOTTO Urges Training for First Responders to Boost Organ Donation Rates
The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has urged States and Union Territories to train first responders—such as police and ambulance drivers—to identify potential organ donors among road accident victims. A 2023 report revealed that approximately 1.7 lakh people died in road accidents in India, many of whom could have been potential organ donors. Currently, India faces a critical shortage of organs, with a deceased donor rate of less than one per million population. Training first responders in brain stem death identification and referral procedures could save thousands of lives through timely harvesting and transplantation.
Key Points
- India's deceased organ donor rate remains critically low at less than one per million population.
- Approximately 1.7 lakh road accident victims in 2023 were identified as potential organ donors.
- NOTTO recommends training police and paramedics to facilitate the flow of information to transplant coordinators.
- The initiative is governed by the Transplantation of Human Organs & Tissues Act, 1994.
Exam Facts
- National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is the nodal agency for organ procurement.
- The Transplantation of Human Organs & Tissues Act was enacted in 1994.
- 1.7 lakh road accident deaths occurred in India in the year 2023.
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