Who we are?
The Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority (PHOTA) is a provincial regulator, set up, in 2013, Following a number of events that revealed a culture of illegal trade and transplantation of human cells, organs, and tissues in Pakistan's most populous province. The PHOTA is the primary provincial entity responsible for oversight of the organ and stem cell transplantation, and for initiatives to increase organ donor registration and donation in Punjab. We regulate private and public hospitals that remove, store and use human cells, organs and tissues for medical treatment, and supervise all the approvals for donations from deceased and living people. Organs that have been successfully transplanted include heart, kidneys, and liver. We also coordinate life-enhancing tissue transplants for Punjab residents who are in need of corneas for sight-restoring procedures. We build on the confidence people have in our regulation by ensuring that human tissue and organs are used for therapeutic purposes safely and ethically, and with proper consent.
How we work?
We engage our registered hospitals, clinicians and the communities to implement the Punjab Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amended) Act 2012, so that people have an access to suitable transplantation and ensuring safety, quality, efficacy of donation and transplantation of human cells, tissues and organs.
Formally established in 2017, the PHOTA operates under the administrative control of the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education (SHC&ME) Department, Government of the Punjab, with its headquarters in Lahore.
Objectives
Our main objectives are enlisted as below:
- Coordinate with hospitals for organs/tissues procurement and distribution in cases of deceased donation
- Evaluate patients and potential living donors
- Stop the illegal trade of human organs and tissues
- Liaise with provincial and central agencies to counter commercial dealings
- Raise community awareness and stakeholder engagement for improved healthcare
- Increase the capability and capacity within the health system to maximise donation rates
- Monitor post-transplant patients & living donors (for assessment of graft rejection, survival rates etc.)
By providing support to a number of healthcare facilities, we have made a remarkable increase in the number of registered Transplant Centres across Punjab which are capable and updated by all means to perform successful transplantation. We are also introducing new and advanced technologies to Punjab's healthcare system in collaboration and affiliation with different transplant and research centers in various countries all over the world.
By fostering an environment of trust, we hope commercial dealing will stop and more people will be willing to donate their tissue and organs for not only saving thousands of lives but also helping our healthcare to flourish.