Glossary term · Law & regulation
ROTTO and SOTTO (also: Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation, State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation): ROTTOs and SOTTOs are the regional and state organisations that work under NOTTO to coordinate organ and tissue donation, retrieval and allocation across India.
ROTTO stands for Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation and SOTTO for State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation. They are the middle and local tiers of India’s transplant network beneath NOTTO. India is divided into five transplant regions. Each state has one SOTTO to carry out the National Organ Transplant Programme locally.
How is the network organised?
India’s transplant system has three tiers. NOTTO is the national apex body in New Delhi. Below it are five ROTTOs. The State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation of Goa lists the five regions as North, South, East, West and North East. Below the ROTTOs sit the SOTTOs. The Goa SOTTO notes that each state has one SOTTO responsible for carrying out the programme’s objectives.
The Directorate General of Health Services counts five ROTTOs and 21 SOTTOs set up so far. Together with NOTTO they form the National Human Organs and Tissues Removal and Storage Network.
What do ROTTOs and SOTTOs work on?
The National Organ Transplant Programme aims to organise efficient retrieval and distribution of organs and tissues, especially from deceased donors. It also promotes donation and pledging. Regional and state bodies link hospitals within their area so that retrieval and allocation can happen quickly.
Why should an international patient know these names?
You may see ROTTO or SOTTO on hospital paperwork, especially if a state body is involved in transplant approvals or record-keeping. The names tell you which public body oversees transplant activity where you are being treated. If you are going to Mumbai, for example, the Goa SOTTO page notes that the West region is served from KEM Hospital in Mumbai.
Questions people ask
Do I need to contact a ROTTO or SOTTO myself?
Usually not. The transplant hospital handles any contact with state or regional bodies. Your role is to supply complete documents for you and your near-relative donor on time. Ask the hospital early which authority will review your case.
Are ROTTOs and SOTTOs involved in living-donor transplants?
Living-donor approvals are made by authorisation committees under the transplant law. The regional and state organisations focus on the wider programme, including deceased donation and allocation. Ask your hospital how its state’s system records living-donor cases.
Sources
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. How we write and check.