On March 24, 2025, the Division of Organ Transplant at AIIMS Rishikesh, in collaboration with MOHAN Foundation, conducted an organ donation awareness session in the Cardiology IPD. This session was the thirteenth in a series aimed at sensitizing nursing officers at AIIMS Rishikesh about organ donation.
The session was led by Mr. Sanchit Arora, Project Leader at MOHAN Foundation stationed at AIIMS Rishikesh, and attended by the nursing staff from the Department of Cardiology.
Mr. Arora began with an introduction to MOHAN Foundation, outlining its mission and objectives. He then provided an in-depth explanation of organ donation and its significance, covering key topics such as:
• The importance of organ donation and donor eligibility.
• The distinction between living and deceased donation.
• Organ donation during life and after death.
• Brain death vs. coma and the process of brain death declaration.
• Eye and skin donation, including cornea preservation post-death.
• An overview of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994.
• Living kidney transplant facilities at AIIMS Rishikesh.
• Steps individuals can take to support the cause.
• Common myths and facts about organ donation.
Mr. Arora emphasized the critical need for organ donation in India, urging participants to initiate conversations about it with their families and peers. He also recommended the film Aye Zindagi on Zee5 for further insights.
Additionally, he discussed AIIMS Rishikesh’s brain death committee and donor optimization protocols, illustrating the process with a recent organ donation case from the hospital.
The session was highly interactive, with participants raising several queries, including:
• How can a patient in need of organs apply to the AIIMS Rishikesh waiting list?
• Is there an age limit for skin donation?
• How should a transplant coordinator be informed about potential brain-dead patients?
• What role do nursing officers play in organ donation cases?
Approximately 13 nursing officers attended the session and acknowledged its value in enhancing their knowledge and ability to contribute to organ donation efforts.
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