Tue Sep 16 15:59:35 UTC 2025: ## Summary:
The Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (K-SOTTO) is reissuing a tender to empanel logistic service providers to improve the efficiency of organ and tissue transplantation activities across the state. The original tender failed due to lack of adequate responses, prompting K-SOTTO to seek district-wise service providers instead. The services required include transportation of organs, cross-match samples, deceased donors, and transplant teams. The goal is to streamline the process, reduce delays, and ultimately improve responsiveness in organ transplantation. The initial focus will be on Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kozhikode, with plans to expand statewide.
## News Article:
**Kerala Aims to Streamline Organ Transplants with New Logistics Tender**
**KOCHI, Sept. 16, 2025:** The Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (K-SOTTO) is taking steps to significantly improve the efficiency of organ and tissue transplantation across the state by issuing a new tender for logistic service providers. This move comes after an earlier attempt to secure state-wide transport services failed to garner sufficient interest.
The new tender seeks to empanel district-wise service providers, offering a more manageable scope for local businesses. The logistics services will be critical in transporting organs between retrieval and transplant centers, moving crucial cross-match samples between hospitals and labs, providing transport for empanelled doctors, and supporting inspection teams verifying transplant licenses in hospitals. The service also includes dedicated ambulance services for the dignified transfer of deceased donors.
“Such a logistic service will help amplify the efficiency of the procedures and activities involved in organ transplantation,” explained an official from K-SOTTO. The organisation is looking for a range of vehicles, from ambulances and taxis for transporting organs and donors to medium-sized vans for transporting teams to workshops and training programs.
According to K-SOTTO Executive Director, Dr. Noble Gracious, the initiative aims to save valuable time. “We are thinking of starting it district-wise, focusing on Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kozhikode, where frequent organ transplantation activities are being carried out. This will then be expanded to other districts as well,” Dr. Gracious stated.
Currently, these logistical arrangements are handled individually by doctors and hospitals, often causing delays and inefficiencies. By establishing a dedicated service, K-SOTTO aims to streamline the process, ensuring a seamless and faster response to organ transplantation activities and ultimately saving more lives.