Space allocated for SOTTO cross-matching facility: govt to HC

PANAJI: The state government, in its reply to the High Court of Bombay at Goa, has listed out steps taken for setting up of the State Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organisation (SOTTO).

The government has also stated in its reply that space has been identified and allocated for setting up of cross-matching laboratory/HLA laboratory space in the Goa Medical College complex.

The state government has also stated that all steps will be taken in order to comply with orders of the court and ensure functioning of the SOTTO within the stipulated time as directed by the court.

A petition filed by the Mango Foundation through its member Severino Fernandes told the court that non setting up of state level networking organisation or State Organ Tissue Transplantation Organisation  as per the Transplantation of Human Organs Act and Rules with criteria-based transparent waiting lists for organs has directly resulted in patient recipients or prospective recipients from Goa losing out on opportunities of life saving organ and tissue transplantation to recipients from other states.

The counsel for petitioner, Wilbur Menezes, said that the state government has filed its reply. However, the Union of India is yet to file the progress report. The matter has been adjourned to next week. The matter was earlier fixed for compliance of order dated December 6, 2018, wherein the High Court had directed the state and central government to set up SOTTO within a period of four months and put in place the cross-matching facility within a period of six months.