Agartala: Tripura Health Secretary Kiran Gitte on Monday said creating awareness across the state was crucial to strengthening organ donation and transplantation services, while outlining the government’s plans to expand transplant facilities and build institutional capacity.
Speaking at the Organ Donation Day observation at Pragna Bhavan, Gitte said the state was observing the occasion on a larger scale for the first time.
“Awareness across the state is very important. This is the first time that National Organ Donation Day is being celebrated on such a large scale in our state,” he said.
Gitte said Chief Minister Manik Saha, who was scheduled to attend the programme, could not do so as he was away from the state on official engagements.
“Our Chief Minister was supposed to be here today, but he was busy and was out of the state. That is why he was not able to come. However, he has sent a message and instructed us that this programme should go ahead with full force,” the Health Secretary said.
Referring to the campaign, Gitte said, “This year’s theme is ‘Angadaan, Jeevan Sanjeevani Abhiyan, Organ Donation and Life Restoring Camp’.”
He said the state had signed an agreement with the MOHAN Foundation to strengthen organ donation initiatives.
“We have entered into an agreement with the MOHAN Foundation, which is one of the largest organ donation organisations in India. We should build capacity at our hospitals,” he said.
Gitte said healthcare teams had been sent for specialised training in organ transplantation.
“We have sent some teams for training in organ transplantation. Not only kidney transplantation, but in the coming days, we will also work on liver and heart transplantation,” he said.
Highlighting the state’s progress, the Health Secretary said, “We have started organ donation services. We have conducted a kidney transplant here.”
He added that an eye bank was functioning at GB Hospital and another would soon be established at IGM Hospital.
“We have an eye bank at GB Hospital. We will start an eye bank at IGM Hospital soon,” he said.
Emphasising the need to address preventable blindness, Gitte said, “We have a lot of problems with cataracts. People know about it, but they are not able to overcome it. We will do a lot of work on corneal transplantation.”
He also said the government planned to introduce bone marrow transplantation services.
“We will also work on bone marrow transplantation at our cancer hospital,” Gitte said.