PGIMER gets best hospital, ROTTO awards

CHANDIGARH: Union minister for health and family welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan On Saturday awarded Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh (PGIMER) for being the ‘Best Regional Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO)’.
The award was in recognition for PGIMER's outstanding contribution towards the promotion of cadaver organ donation to celebrate the 10th Indian Organ Donation Day by NOTTO (National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation) at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
PGIMER also received the ‘Best Hospital’ award in the field of deceased organ donation from Ashwani Kumar Choubey, minister of state for health and family welfare.
It is the third time that PGIMER has won the national award for its contribution towards the deceased organ donation programme. Earlier, PGIMER had won national award in the Best Hospital category for the year 2015-16 and 2016-17. The award for being the Best ROTTO, instituted this year, has been won for the first time.
During the event, Kuldeep Singh, father and Madan Goel, grandfather of donor Ravi Kapoor, 29, a resident of Dera Bassi, in Punjab's Mohali district, were felicitated for their decision to donate the organs of their deceased son and got a standing ovation from the audience for their gesture. Their gesture impacted five lives with the transplantation of liver, kidneys and corneas.
Expressing his delight at the achievement, Prof Jagat Ram, director, PGIMER, said, “It’s an honour to be acknowledged nationally for PGIMER’s contribution as a public sector hospital, towards the promotion of the deceased organ donation programme for the third time. Prof AK Gupta, medical superintendent, PGIMER, said, “The tireless and incessant efforts by each one in the institute involved in the process of promotion, donation and transplantation has contributed immensely to enable ROTTO PGIMER win this distinct honour.”
Acknowledging these awards as the reiteration of the team efforts, Prof Vipin Koushal, nodal officer, ROTTO PGIMER, said, “We dedicate these awards to all the braveheart donor families for their unparalleled benevolence which helped saving hundreds of lives.”