National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO)

About National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO):

• NOTTO is a national-level organization set up under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
• It is an apex organization for implementing the National Organ Transplant Program (NOTP) and to carry out activities as per the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA) 1994. 
• NOTTO provides an efficient and organized system of organ procurement and distribution in the country and maintains the national registry of donors and recipients of organs and tissues.
• It has the following two divisions:
• National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network:
  • It would function as apex centre for all India activities of coordination and networking for the procurement and distribution of organs and tissues and registry of organ and tissue donation and transplantation in the country. 
  • It has been mandated as per the Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011. 
• National Biomaterial Centre (National Tissue Bank):
  • The Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011 has included the component of tissue donation and registration of tissue banks. 
  • The main thrust and objective of establishing the centre is to fill up the gap between ‘Demand’ and ‘Supply’ as well as ‘Quality Assurance’ in the availability of various tissues.
  • Activities:
    • Coordination for tissue procurement and distribution
    • Donor Tissue Screening
    • Removal of Tissues and Storage
    • Preservations of Tissue
    • Laboratory screening of tissues
    • Tissue tracking
    • Sterilization
    • Records maintenance, Data Protection and Confidentiality
    • Quality Management in tissues
    • Patient Information on tissues
    • Development of Guidelines, Protocols and Standard Operating Procedures
    • Trainings
    • Assisting as per requirement in registration of other Tissue Banks

Q1: When was the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) established?

The 2011 Amendment of THOA 1994 provided the basis for the establishment of NOTTO, which has been crucial in regulating organ donation and transplantation in India with the setting up of the NOTTR in 2015. NOTTO has been instrumental in augmenting all outcomes.

Source: ET