HOTTA pushing to advance regulations, procedures – Dr Singh-Anthony

The Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Agency (HOTTA) has been working to ensure standard systems are implemented for organ and tissue transplantation locally.

The HOTTA started its work in April 2023 and operates in accordance with the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Act of 2022 which provides the legal framework for the removal of human organs, tissues, cells, and biofluids for transplantation and blood transfusion.

HOTTA’s Chairperson, Dr Shanti Singh-Anthony reiterated that the agency’s mandate is to ensure there is accessible and equitable access to transplantation in Guyana that is based on international standards and guidelines.

Dr Singh-Anthony was at the time addressing attendees at the certificate ceremony to mark the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC) as a Kidney Transplant Centre on Wednesday.

The public health specialist said since the agency began its work the focus has been on building the systems’ protocols and procedures for a deceased donation programme.

“We continue to build capacity of human resources through the laboratory committee of the agency. We are setting laboratory systems to ensure that all laboratory testing for transplant can be done locally,” Dr Singh-Anthony stated.

She noted that the certification of the GPHC is a key component in advancing that system.

“We have drafted seven regulations to operationalise the act and this will be at the policy level. In relation to human resources, we have built capacity and we continue to build capacity,” she stated.

To date, a certified transplant coordinator has been put in place at the GPHC, while several staff of the city hospital and HOTTA benefitted from established transplant programmes in Spain and Portugal.  

Accordingly, some key GPHC staff were trained on the standard operating procedures and protocol for deceased donation.

“We are working to ensure that all systems are built in a way that there is self-sufficiency in our transplant programme and that transplant services are accessible, equitable, ethical, and based on systems that are just,” the medical practitioner asserted.