Chandigarh: Reinforcing its position as the country’s leading institution in deceased organ donation, ROTTO North, PGI, won the National Award for Best Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) for the third consecutive year, completing a hat-trick and securing its fourth overall national title since the award was instituted in 2019.The honour was conferred during the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day celebrations held at the Dr B R Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, under the aegis of the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.The award was presented by Anupriya Patel, Union minister of state for health and family welfare, who congratulated the winning institutions for their outstanding contribution to strengthening India’s organ donation movement and promoting ethical, transparent and equitable organ transplantation across the country.The award was received on behalf of PGI by director Prof Vivek Lal, along with a senior delegation comprising Prof (Dr) Ashok Kumar, medical superintendent; Prof Dheeraj Khurana, department of neurology; Prof Hemant Bhagat, department of anaesthesia and intensive care; Dr Vijay Tadia, nodal officer, ROTTO North; and Saryu D. Madra, consultant, ROTTO North, PGIMER.Prof Lal said, “This honour belongs to our dedicated healthcare professionals who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Above all, it is a tribute to the donor families whose extraordinary courage and generosity continue to transform loss into hope and save countless lives.”He added, “Our mission extends beyond coordination. We strive to empower every state and transplant centre to build sustainable and efficient transplant programmes. This recognition reinforces our responsibility to continue leading with excellence, collaboration and compassion for the benefit of patients awaiting the gift of life.”The event witnessed participation from senior officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, secretaries and senior officers from states and Union Territories, heads of leading healthcare institutions, transplant professionals, donor and recipient families, transplant coordinators, NGOs and civil society organisations working to advance organ donation across India.Among those felicitated was the family of Major Singh, whose decision to donate organs after his demise gave a new lease of life to multiple recipients. The family of a young burn survivor who benefited from a life-changing skin donation was also honoured, highlighting the transformative impact of tissue donation in restoring hope and healing to patients with severe burn injuries. These stories served as powerful reminders that every donation has the potential to transform grief into new beginnings.With this latest recognition, ROTTO North, PGIMER, has now won the National Best ROTTO Award four times, including an unprecedented hat-trick in 2023, 2024 and 2025, in addition to its first win in 2019.Designated as the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO North) in 2015, PGI has been entrusted with coordinating and promoting organ donation across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Through capacity building, policy support, public awareness, professional training and seamless inter-state coordination, ROTTO North continues to set national benchmarks in deceased organ donation while inspiring thousands to pledge the gift of life.
