![SOTTO J&K officers and other dignitaries during an organ donation program at GMC Handwara. —Excelsior/Aabid Nabi SOTTO J&K officers and other dignitaries during an organ donation program at GMC Handwara. —Excelsior/Aabid Nabi](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/page3-7-696x405.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 6: Jammu and Kashmir State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO) organized an awareness programme for faculty, students and paramedical staff of Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara in association with Hospital Administration Department of the College.
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Principal GMC Handwara, Prof Dr Iffat Hassan presided over the event and Prof Dr M Saleem Wani (Head, Department of Urology and Kidney Transplant Unit, SKIMS Srinagar) was the guest of honour.
Head of Urology in GMC Jammu cum Nodal Officer SOTTO J&K, Dr Elias Sharma gave a detailed presentation on Human Organ Donation and Transplantation and he clarified various myths associated with it. He said that only Cadaveric Organ donation in India can be the answer to fill the gap between demand and availability of organs, thereby saving many lives.
Joint Director, SOTTO J&K, Dr Sanjeev Puri explained the importance of the National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) in India which was launched under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to give impetus to the cadaveric donation in this country. He also described steps to register in Organ Donation Pledge Drive under Ayushman Bhav to become an organ donor.
Professor M Saleem Wani explained the role of the religion in the cadaveric donation and informed everyone that Islam permits organ donation to save lives and he encouraged everyone to pledge online for organ donation.
Irfan Ahmed (Transplant Coordinator, SOTTO) enlightened about the sequence of events happening in a hospital during the cadaveric organ donation.
The event was coordinated by Assistant Prof Dr Mohd Sarwar, Hospital Administration Department, GMC Handwara.