New Delhi(PTI): The Union Health Ministry has written to states expressing "serious concern" over hospitals not sharing data on organ transplantations and registering them on the National Transplant Registry.

Many registered transplant hospitals have persistently failed to submit daily and monthly data, thereby impeding the transparency and facilitation of equitable organ allocation, the letter pointed out.

The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), under the Directorate General of Health Services, Union Health Ministry is entrusted with the statutory responsibility of establishing and maintaining a National Transplant Registry pursuant to Section 13D of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994.

This registry is essential for monitoring organ and tissue transplantations to ensure transparency, facilitate equitable organ allocation, and support policy-making, the letter said.

"It is a matter of serious concern that many registered transplant hospitals have persistently failed to submit the daily and monthly data on organ transplantation activities and register transplantations on the National Transplant Registry. Such non-compliance undermines NOTTO's ability to fulfil its obligations and impedes the objective of augmenting organ donation rates nationwide," the letter said.

It referred to previous letters highlighting the need for comprehensive data sharing.

As per provisions of the THOTA Act, 1994, all registered hospitals are required to maintain records of transplantation activities and report them to NOTTO through the respective State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisations (SOTTO), the letter stressed.

The letter requested the states to direct hospitals or transplant centres to furnish comprehensive data.

"Data related to deceased as well as living donors and recipients must be compiled, verified and submitted to NOTTO through the respective SOTTO and ROTTO on a monthly basis," the letter underlined.

It stressed that it is mandatory to update data on NOTTO web portal regularly and register both donors and recipients of living transplants in the National Transplant Registry within 48 hours of the procedure.

It requested the State Appropriate Authority (SAA), which has the powers of a civil court under the Act, to ensure compliance by hospitals, and deal with non-compliance as per the THOTA Act, 1994.

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Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.

Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.

Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.

Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.

According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.

She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.

A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.

Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.

Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.