SOTTO J&K organizes Organ and Tissue Donation Workshop

SOTTO releases its first annual Newsletter “Naman” on the occasion

JAMMU, May 20:The Scientific Workshop on “Organ and Tissue Donation” that witnessed the participation of over  150 participants including Medical professionals, HoDs, faculty and Nursing Students organized jointly by State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO) in collaboration with Government Medical College Jammu under the patronage of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Govt. of India at Auditorium, GMC Jammu.

The programme was inaugurated by lamp lightening ceremony by Dr. Shashi Sudhan Sharma, Principal and Dean, GMC Jammu, Mr. Ashwani Khajuria, Administrator, AHJ, Dr. Elias Sharma, HoD Urology and Renal Transplant Unit SSH Jammu & Nodal Officer SOTTO J&K, Dr. Haroon Salaria, HoD Neurosurgery, Dr. Anju Jamwal, HoD Anesthesiology, Dr.Rakesh Bahl, Professor P&SM,  Dr. Anita Vig, Professor Anesthesiology, Dr. Narender Bhutyal, Medical Superintendent GMCH and Dr Rehana Bashir Dy. Medical Superintendent GMCH.

The inaugural ceremony was followed by the release of SOTTO’s first annual Newsletter “Naman” by dignitaries present there.

Eminent speakers were invited to talk on various aspects of Organ Donation. The program was designed to focus on the altruistic cause of organ donation by reaching out to the medical fraternity from various streams which will help improve donation/retrieval/transplantation in India saving precious lives.

Dr. Elias Sharma, welcomed all the dignitaries and said that to give an impetus to mass level to Cadaveric Organ Donation in India, such programmes should be organized regularly so that continuous awareness remains among the people. 

Dr. Shashi Sudhan Sharma, the Chief Guest on the occasion said that, “nothing can be more self-evident than to give those who really need help, a ray of hope and more precisely a second chance to live just by pledging and donating the organs after we are gone.

Dr. Haroon Salaria as a speaker on the occasion talked about  “Identification of Donors and Brain Stem Death Declaration” . He said that Brain Death, also commonly referred to as death by neurologic criteria, has been considered a legal definition of death for decades. Its determination involves many considerations and subtleties.

Dr Anita Vig addressed the gathering on “how to maintain a donor”. She told that management of a brain-dead donor involves a combination of mechanical ventilation, fluid replacement, and inotropes or vasopressors, using a simplified method as the adapted VIP approach can contribute to improving management.

Dr. Ashok Sharma gave description about Eye Donation and Transplantation, need of eye bank and types of keratoplasty etc. He ended his presentation with the message “Eyes Never Dies” and motivated others to pledge for eye/organ donation. 

Dr. Sandhya Arora, talked upon “Organ donation in Medico legal cases”. She throws light on practical scenarios involved in MLCs.

Ms.Gagandeep kour and Ms. Sonia Bassan transplant coordinators GMCH spoke upon  “Challenges of Organ Donation” and ” Role of Transplant Coordinator” respectively. 

Vote of thanks was presented by Dr. Elias Sharma and whole program was anchored and managed  by Mr. Irfan Ahmad Lone Transplant Coordinator SOTTO and Ms. Anshu Sharma, Consultant (IEC/Media) and Ms. Nisha Sharma, DEO respectively..

(NOTE: PRESS RELEASE PUBLISHED AS RECEIVED)