JIPMER's organ transplantation institute proposal dropped: SP Singh Baghel tells Lok Sabha

New Delhi: The proposed establishment of an Institute of Organ Transplantation at the Sedarapet campus of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) has encountered a significant setback informed the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Prof Satya Pal Singh Baghel in Lok Sabha recently.

The project's delay has raised concerns among patients in Puducherry and south Tamil Nadu, who were hopeful of availing the benefits of this critical medical facility.

Responding to a query raised by MP Shri VE. Vaithilingam in Lok Sabha, The Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Prof Satya Pal Singh Baghel, informed that the plan to set up the Institute of Organ Transplantation at the Sedarapet campus was initiated by JIPMER back in 2018. However, the proposal could not progress due to the recent cancellation of the land allocation by the Government of Puducherry. 

The proposed institute aimed to play a crucial role in catering to the needs of patients in Puducherry and south Tamil Nadu by providing specialized services in organ and tissue transplantation. With a rising demand for organ transplants in the region, the establishment of such a facility was eagerly awaited.

Minister SP Singh Baghel stated that the National Organ Transplant Program (NOTP) Guidelines for 2021-22 to 2025-26 emphasize the establishment of State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO) in each State/UT. Responding to this directive, a SOTTO was established at Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Post Graduate Institute in Puducherry, intending to cater to the needs of patients in the Union Territory.

However, the cancellation of the land allocation for the proposed Institute of Organ Transplantation at JIPMER's Sedarapet campus has left the project's fate uncertain.

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