The Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) has initiated the process for registration and licensing to start organ transplant services, marking a significant step towards expanding advanced healthcare facilities in Nagaland.
Principal Director, Health & Family Welfare, Dr Mereninla Senlem disclosed this on Monday during the Indian Organ Donation Day program held at NHAK, organised by the MOHAN Foundation in association with NHAK and the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO), Nagaland.
Speaking on the theme, “Stories of Hope, Gifts of Life: Promoting Organ Donation in Nagaland,” Dr Senlem said that while transplant services are not yet available in the state, efforts are underway to establish the necessary infrastructure and build capacity for such services.
She said NHAK had already initiated the required registration and licensing process to begin organ transplant services, describing it as an important milestone reflecting the government’s commitment to improving access to advanced healthcare for citizens.
Dr Senlem also highlighted the growing burden of kidney disease in India, noting that thousands of patients continue to wait for life-saving organ transplants.
While significant advances have been made in transplant surgery, she stressed that greater awareness and participation from all sections of society remain necessary to address the shortage of donated organs.
She emphasised that the success of organ donation depends not only on healthcare institutions and government agencies but also on public participation. Awareness, she said, should begin within families, communities and educational institutions, with greater openness in discussing organ donation.
The program also featured testimonies from organ donors and transplant recipients, along with a testimonial video screening, aimed at encouraging greater awareness and participation in organ donation.
The event brought together healthcare professionals, government representatives and other stakeholders to promote organ donation and strengthen the state’s efforts towards developing an organ and tissue transplantation system.