On February 19, 2025, MOHAN Foundation conducted an awareness session on organ donation at the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Ministry of Defence, Rishikesh. The session was organized following an invitation from Col. Amit Atri, Officer Commanding, Border Roads Organisation, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a road construction executive force in India that provides support to Indian Armed Forces. BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring countries. This includes infrastructure operations in 19 states and three union territories (including Andaman and Nicobar Islands) and neighboring countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tajikistan and Sri Lanka.
The talk was delivered by Mr. Sanchit Arora, Project Leader at MOHAN Foundation, stationed at AIIMS Rishikesh. The session was attended by officers and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF), the parent cadre of the BRO.
The session began with Mr. Arora engaging the participants by inviting them to share their existing knowledge about organ donation. He then delivered a detailed presentation covering various aspects of organ donation, including:
• What is organ donation, and why is it important?
• Eligibility to become an organ donor
• Differences between live and deceased donation
• Organ donation during life and after death
• Understanding brain death
• Distinction between coma and brain death
• Eye donation and guidelines for preserving corneas after death
• Key provisions of the Transplantation of Human Organs & Tissues Act, 1994
• Role of MOHAN Foundation in promoting organ donation
• How individuals can contribute to this noble cause
• Dispelling myths and presenting facts about organ donation
One participant shared a personal story about a family member who had been on a ventilator and later declared brain dead. The participant expressed regret that the medical team had not approached their family about organ donation at the time. He felt that, had they been informed, the family might have considered donating organs.
The session was highly interactive, with participants actively engaged in the discussion and asking insightful questions. Some of the queries raised included:
• Is coma the same as brain death?
• How are organs allocated by government and private hospitals?
• How much time is given to families to make a decision regarding organ donation in cases of brain death?
• Why are people from Muslim community more on the waiting list to receive an organ & less in organ donation pledging?
The session served as a valuable opportunity to educate and encourage BRO personnel to consider organ donation as an act of service to society. By addressing misconceptions and providing information, the session aimed to inspire them to take the lead in promoting this noble cause within their communities and among their fellow officers.
Approximately 25 participants attended the session, and many expressed their willingness to pledge for organ donation after discussing it with their families.
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