The Regional cum State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO-SOTTO) was established at the Seth G.S. Medical College & K.E.M. Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, in February 2017.

This networking agency has been mandated and defined in the amended Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act of 1994 [Section 13-C], and the Rules of 2014 [Rule 31 (4) – (12)].

In India, there is a huge gap between the demand for donated organs and the availability. This results in many patients dying while waiting for an organ. At the same time the number of living donors for kidney and liver are increasing. People are willing to risk surgery to save the life of their loved one. The paucity of organs also creates a situation where the commercialization of organ donation can be a real danger. The National, Regional and State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisations were set up by the Central Government to change this situation.

• To promote organ and tissue donation from deceased donors in the State of Maharashtra and the Region;
• To promote and monitor the transplantation of human organs and tissues;
• To implement the provisions of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994, and its Rules, 2014.
• To undertake activities of the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Programme (NOTP);
• To implement the policies for organ and tissue donation and transplantation made by the Government of India, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) and the Maharashtra State.

• Monitoring and surveillance of transplantation activities in the Region;
• Allocation of organs between States within the Region if not utilized by a State, and to other States if not utilized in the Region;
• Establishing Regional organ and tissue transplant registries;
• Organizing and conducting training programs for the Region;
• Creating awareness of deceased organ and tissue donation;
• Organization of intersectoral meetings and advocacy workshops for the Region;
• Dissemination of information across the Region; Technical guidance and support to SOTTOs

• Monitoring and surveillance of donation and transplantation activities in the State.
• Maintaining the waiting lists of patients needing transplants in the State.
• Facilitating multi organ and tissue retrieval from brain stem dead donors and co-ordinating activities from procurement of organs and tissues from donors till transplantation into the recipients.
• Matching of recipient with donor and organ allocation as per the designed policy within the State including distribution of organs and tissues.
• Following up post-transplant patients and living donors for assessment of graft rejection, survival rates etc.
• Assisting the State authorities in formulating policy, guidelines and standard operation procedures (SOPs) for organ and tissue donation, transport, distribution and transplantation and tissue banking;
• Establishing State and Regional organ and tissue transplant registries;
• Conducting training programmes for all stakeholders, including intensivists, brain-stem certification teams, retrieval surgeons, transplant surgeons, nurses, transplant coordinators, police, forensic pathologists/surgeons, NGOs and volunteers, etc., in organ and tissue donation, retrieval, distribution and transplantation, and tissue banking;
• Promoting organ donations from deceased donors through public awareness programmes, posters, social media, films, pledge forms etc.;
• Disseminating information to concerned hospitals, organizations and individuals.
• Operation of various schemes for organ donation, living donors, organ recipients, and safeguarding of vulnerable populations;
• Facilitating the establishing of new transplant and non-transplant organ retrieval centres (NTORCs) and strengthen existing facilities, particularly in public hospitals.