On April 8, 2025, the Division of Organ Transplant at AIIMS Rishikesh, in collaboration with MOHAN Foundation, conducted an organ donation awareness session in the Nephrology ward. This marked the sixteenth session in an ongoing series aimed at sensitizing nursing officers at AIIMS Rishikesh to the importance of organ donation.
The session was led by Mr. Sanchit Arora, Project Leader at MOHAN Foundation, stationed at AIIMS Rishikesh. He was joined by Mr. Deshraj Solanki and Mr. Vrishabh Panchal, Transplant Coordinators at the institute. Nursing staff from the Department of Nephrology were in attendance.
The session began with an introduction to MOHAN Foundation, emphasizing its mission and objectives. Mr. Arora delivered a detailed presentation on organ donation and its significance, covering the following key topics:
• The importance of organ donation and who can become a donor
• The distinction between living and deceased donors
• Organ donation during life and after death
• The concept of brain death and how it differs from coma
• Protocols for declaring brain death
• Eye and skin donation, including steps for preserving corneas post-death
• An overview of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994
• Living kidney transplantation facilities at AIIMS Rishikesh
• Steps individuals can take to support the cause
• Common myths and facts related to organ donation
Mr. Arora underscored the urgent need for organ donation in India and encouraged participants to initiate conversations about it within their families and communities. He also recommended watching the film Aye Zindagi on Zee5 to gain further insights into the topic.
Mr. Panchal elaborated on the hospital's brain death committee and donor optimization protocols. He also shared a recent case of organ donation at AIIMS Rishikesh to illustrate the process and its impact.
The session was interactive, with participants posing several questions, such as:
• What are the roles and responsibilities of NOTTO?
• How should a transplant coordinator be notified about a potential brain-dead patient?
• What is the role of nursing officers in organ donation cases?
Approximately nine nursing officers attended the session. They expressed appreciation for the valuable information shared and acknowledged the session’s role in enhancing their understanding and potential contribution to the cause of organ donation.
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