Dona Paula (Goa) Indian Medical Association’s Goa branch today orgaised a state level CME Kidney Update at The International Centre, Dona Paula.

This was a full day program with experts from all over India and Spain sharing knowledge with Goan doctors about how to manage better patients with Kidney ailments.

The highlight of the program was a talk by Dr Maria Paula Gomez, Director of TPM DTI a Spanish not for profit organisation sharing expertise in organ donation, procurement and transplant management.

She exhorted the doctors in Goa to recognise that Organ Donation is a right of the family and to make Aware every family about the same. She also impressed upon local authorities to setup organ donation and transplant services in every tertiary care hospital.

Dr Maria announced that a benefactor from Spain Mr Felip Verdes has agreed to sponsor one doctor from Goa completely to travel to Barcelona for one week for advanced training in transplant coordination.

The director of NOTTO Dr Vimal Bhandari was the chief guest at the inauguration. He made a strong pitch for setting up a local body SOTTO in Goa.

Dr Bhandari explained that Organ Donation and Transplant services development is a high priority for the central government with a target to set up attest 10 SOTTO s in 2017-18. He made a public appeal to the health authorities of Goa to move quickly and take advantage of the funds available from central government to appoint dedicated transplant coordinator and run awareness programs by establishing a SOTTO for Goa.

Dr Bhandari was all praises for IMA GOA STATE to have taken the lead where ( other state IMA have lacked ) and hoped that the Goa Government will involve all stakeholders and take the program forwards.

Earlier ,Dr shekhar Salkar welcomed the gathering and informed about all the steps IMA Goa State has taken to promote the cause with the slogan keep giving carry on living.

He hoped that the program gets strong leadership from the political and bureaucratic mechanism in the state. He has planned a visit to the Legislative Assembly with the visiting Dignitaries as also multiple bilateral meetings with Health secretary, dean Goa Medical College and the Director of Health Services.

Dr Amol Mahaldar concluded the session by announcing the kidney quiz winner as Dr Aman Prabhugoanker and thanking all present for their participation.