National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO)

NOTTO has issued a new 10-point advisory that puts women and donor families first in organ allocation. This step aims to reduce the gender gap in transplants and encourage more people to donate organs in India.

• Relevant for UPSC Prelims & Current Affairs
• Relevant for Mains GS Paper II (Centre–state coordination in implementing Transplantation)
• Important for Essay and Interview

The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is the Statutory national-level body under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

• The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Act, 2011, gave NOTTO the responsibility of managing and coordinating organ & tissue donation and transplantation across the country.

The NOTTO plays a key role in India’s transplant system, making sure organs and tissues are smoothly transferred from donors to those who need them. Here are the key functions of NOTTO:

• Acts as the apex centre for procurement, distribution, allocation, and transplantation of human organs and tissues.
• Maintains and publishes the National Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Registry by compiling data from states and regions.
• Develops standard operating procedures, clinical protocols, and guidelines to ensure safe and ethical transplant practices.
• Links five Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (ROTTOs) and 21 State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (SOTTOs) for on-ground implementation.
• Drives public education campaigns on brain-stem death, organ pledging, and donor family support to increase donation rates.
• Facilitates “green corridors” and inter-regional transfers to minimize transit time and preserve organ viability.

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To reduce gender imbalance and honor donor families, NOTTO’s advisory mandates:

1. Extra allocation “points” for women on transplant waiting lists.
2. Priority to the near relatives of deceased donors needing organs.
3. Public felicitation and dignified funerals for deceased donors and families.
4. Assign a unique ID to every organ donor and recipient for an audit trail.
5. Mandatory submission of all transplant–donation data to the national digital registry.
6. Establish permanent transplant coordinator posts in every transplant hospital.
7. Phase-wise development of organ retrieval centres in trauma units and medical colleges.
8. Train emergency responders and ambulance teams to spot potential deceased donors early.
9. Appoint state-level brand ambassadors to increase organ-donation awareness.
10. Enforce compliance through legal action under THOTA, ensuring equity and dignity.

NOTTO has helped make India’s transplant system stronger, but challenges remain in increasing donations and making sure help reaches everyone equally.

Impact

• Enhanced Organ Utilization: Centralized allocation increased the number of successful transplants.
• Improved Transparency: The National Registry offers real-time data on donations and transplants.
• Inclusive Policies: Priority to women patients and donor families under the new advisory.

Challenges

• Persistently Low Deceased Donations: Under 1 donation per million population.
• Low Awareness: Misconceptions about brain-stem death and consent.
• Infrastructure Gaps: Insufficient ICU beds and retrieval teams in rural areas.
• Skill Shortages: Limited numbers of trained transplant coordinators.
• Enforcement Variability: Inconsistent application of anti-trafficking and legal safeguards.

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To meet India’s growing need for organ transplants, NOTTO and its partners can:

• Increase deceased donations by creating more state-level “green corridors” and improving ICU protocols.
• Include transplant coordination training in medical courses across the country.
• Use digital tools like AI matching and mobile pledge apps for quicker organ allocation.
• Strengthen laws to prevent organ trafficking and protect donor families.
• Work with communities, faith groups, NGOs, and youth groups to bust myths and keep donor pledges alive.

With a stronger network, better technology, and a spirit of giving, NOTTO can turn India’s transplant system into a global example of efficiency, fairness, and compassion.

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