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MINUTES OF MEETING OF THE CORE COMMITTEE OF NCBOD

The government's work on the issue of organ donation is praiseworthy - Alok Kumar

The first meeting of the Core Committee of NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR BODY ORGANS DONATION (NCBOD) was held virtually on Tuesday, 4th April 2023. Dr. Anil Goyal, Hitesh Chhabra (representing Shiv Kumar Gaur), Dr. Brijendra Singh, Shri Sushil Modi, Dr. Sunil Shroff, Dr. Kulwant Gaur, Shri Kamal Sachetee, Shri Nand Kishore Vyas, Shri Shankar Lal Sharma, Shri Purushottam Pawar, Dr. Vatsala Trivedi, Ms. Meera Suresh, Shri Nilesh Mandlewala, Mr Lal Goel, Shri Ganji Eswaralingam, Dr. Hemal Kanvinde, Swami Ramasaranananda , Smt. Manju Prabha, Shri Kamal Khurana, Dr. Vishal Chadha, Shri Rajiv Goel and Ms Geeta Ahuja participated in this virtiual meeting. Shri Alok Kumar, National Coordinator of the Campaign presided the meetings.

In the beginning Shri Alok Kumar welcomed the members in the meeting. In his opening remarks, he said that the senior office-bearers of 58 NGOs and Professional Associations, working in Bharat for the cause of Body-Organs Donation came together in Delhi in the ‘Swasth Sabal Bharat Conclave’ hosted by Dadhichi Deh Dan Samiti on 3rd and 4th September 2022. Various important suggestions were received in the Conclave to give momentum to the Body-Organs Donation. They can be divided into two sections, action for (i) civil society and (i) the government.

Shri Alok Kumar reminded that Shri Yashwant Deshmukh of ‘C’ Voter had presented a report of the survey conducted by ‘C’ Voter. The report reveals that a vast majority of Indian people are not aware about the Body or Organs Donations except the Eyes Donation. An important finding is, that when informed, a majority of the people interviewed were positive towards organ donations. The assumption that religious dogmas and superstitions are the reason for low donations in India is only a myth.

The outcome of the Day-long deliberations was conveyed to the Government. We are happy that the Government of India (GOI) has announced the implementation of several important recommendations received in the Conclave. It was encouraging that the Hon’ble Prime Minister acquainted himself with the recommendations of the Conclave. Definitely, the tremendous support of the Hon’ble Prime Minister for Body-Organs Donation in his ‘Man ki Baat’ on 26.03.2023 would go a long way in promoting this mission.

The cause of creating awareness and positivity about the Body-Organs Donation cannot be left to the Governments alone. Primarily, it is the responsibility of the Civil Society.

The meeting discussed the various issues and action program for the civil society and for the Governments. Shri Sushil Modi, Dr. Sunil Shroff, Shri C. Lal, Dr. Vatsala Trivedi, Shri Ganji Eshwarlingam, Shri Neelesh Mandlewala, Shri Nand Kishore Vyas, Shri Purushottm Pawar, Shri Shankar Lal Sharma Dadhich and some other members made important contribution in the deliberations.

After discussions, the following issues were unanimously resolved as the action program for the campaign. 

ACTION FOR THE CIVIL SOCIETY:

  1. A sustained campaign at all levels to create awareness, generate acceptability, register for Body-Organs Donations and upon intimation of death of a donor, to coordinate between the family of the donor and the medical institution.
  2. Delegations of National Campaign for Body Organs Donation (NCBOD) should meet Governors / Chief Ministers / Health Ministers of the states and respective secretaries to sensitize and seek support for the cause as appealed by the Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi in “Mann ki baat” in March 2023. The delegation may handover a memorandum containing the specific requirements from the State Government for promotion and effectuating Body-Organs Donation.
  3. Celebrities from all walks of life including religion, sports, media, medical fraternity, cinema, arts and the associations of the senior citizens to be located, approached, and involved to popularize this mission.
  4. To generate social media campaigns to inform and popularize the mission.
  5. To coordinate with visual and print media for adequate publicity of such donations and other support for the mission.
  6. To organize seminars, symposiums, small and drawing-room meetings for interaction on the subject.
  7. To create Video and Power-point Presentations of some 25-30 minutes in different languages on Body-Organs donations.
  8. Sensitize Doctors and staff of trauma centers through bodies like IMA.
  9. Observing a Body Donation Day/ Organ Donation Day throughout Bharat.

ACTION FOR THE GOVERNMENT:

  1. The GOI has in principle accepted ‘One Nation, One Policy for Organ Donation and Transplantation’. This policy shall be evolved in consultation with the States. The National Campaign for Body-Organs Donation (NCBOD) should continue to engage with the GOI and the State Governments for the early framing of the said policy and its implementation.
  2. We request the Govt. to consider the following measures:
    1. Uniform protocols be developed and implemented for organs in Brain death cases.
    2. Uniformity in Anatomy Acts across states in Bharat.
  3. The GOI has also accepted the need for a single ‘National Registry’ for the persons needing organs and the persons willing to donate. We would suggest that simple and easy procedure may be devised for such registration. The NCBOD may pursue with NOTTO to see this materializing.
  4.  The GOI has decided:
    1. To do away with the domicile requirement in any state for registration of patients requiring organ transplantation from deceased donor.
    2. As per the previous guidelines of NOTTO persons under the age of 65 years only were eligible for registration to receive deceased donor organ. Now, there is no such age limit.
    3. The States have been made aware that no fee should be charged by them for registration of patients waiting for organs.
    4. To develop a curriculum to increase Organ Donation awareness beginning from the school level.

    5. The NCBOD shall interact with the State Governments to ensure that these directions are implemented.

  5. National Body Donation Day may be observed annually, preferably on Maharshi Dadhichi Jayanti. There may be uniformity on observing National Organ Donation Day, throughout india.
  6. The Eye Donation Fortnight is observed every year in the entire Country. This may be expanded to Organ Donation Fortnight as a National program for popularizing the cause of Body-Organs Donation. 
  7. To evolve a uniform protocol / charter to receive cadavers with respect, take cadaveric oath by students before putting them for academics and print the donors’ names on the Honor roll board at anatomy department of each college and research centers.
  8. The number of Thoracic Organ Transplants happening is very meager compared to the ever-increasing demand. A major reason for this discrepancy is that only a few government hospitals have a successful thoracic organ transplant program. This needs to be a priority in the next five years for the NOTP (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Programme) and GOI, to meet the demand-supply gap for thoracic organ transplants.
  9. There is a tremendous scope for improving organ donation in the Northern states of India, especially in states of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab. SOTTOs should be established in these states with active programs to improve awareness about organ donation.
  10. Organ Donation Pledges should be linked to AADHAR card and driving license along with blood group so that the PLEDGE can be seen and implemented / counterchecked by emergency room doctors, hospital authorities, and donor relatives.
  11. A large drive is needed in individual states to appoint one Organ Donation Coordinator in each major Trauma center, Neurosurgery Hospital and in tertiary care hospitals.
  12. Transplant centers and organ harvest centers to be established in states, even with no transplant programs yet. The earmarked money for this purpose should not be diverted to other avenues. Such centers may be established in a phased manner. The first phase may include the newly established medical colleges with a final objective of having at least one harvesting center in each district and having an EYE BANK in each district of India.
  13. Nurses and Paramedical staff with organ harvest and transplant experience to be given special consideration in appointments for government jobs and regular mandatory training on updates in organ donation and Govt Policies should be a part of the service manuals. Special focus to be given to staff of the trauma center and ICUs to identify such cases and timely motivation for organ donation. Moreover, these trainings should be an essential part of the accreditation programs like NABH, Kaya Kalp etc.
  14. *There should be a legal framework for capacity building for the cause.
  15. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry for Defense should formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure speedy transportation of donated Organs. Air lifting charges for organ transport may be reduced to minimum, GST should be exempted from the fare to ease out on the cost for such operations.
  16. The immunosuppression medications post transplants can be linked with the PM health scheme under EWS category or medicines may be made available at PM JAN AUSHADI KENDRA.
  17. To improve Organ Retrievals, every Medical College needs to be converted/ identified as an Organ Retrieval Center and each Government Hospital should have Corneal Retrieval Center.
  18. Establishing an Honour-Wall at public places viz District Hospital, District Court, the District Commissioners’ Office, Post office, Railway Stations in all districts of the Country displaying the names of Body-Organs Donors.
    • Honor the families of the organ and Body Donors on special days like Republic Day, Independence Day.
    • Honor Roll boards may be displayed in Medical colleges, organ Retrieval and Transplant centers.
    • Cadaveric Oath may be made compulsory to be displayed in all Anatomy Labs/ Departments.
  19. Advertisements rates on Organ Donation and Body Donation programs should be subsidized to minimum for better coverage. DAVP may be directed accordingly.
  20. ANI and PTI and other major information broadcasters to be sensitized to prioritize the news and information on organ donation.
  21. Public announcements and videos may be made available at public places like railway stations, hospital waiting areas, SDM offices, court complexes for popularizing this mission.
  22. Special Courses may be designed for nursing colleges and medical colleges to improve the understanding and execution of organ donation, organ harvesting and organ transplant.
  23. Government of India may be requested to include tableau on Body Donation /organ Donation in republic day parade to popularize the cause.