On December 19, 2024, the Division of Organ Transplant at AIIMS Rishikesh, in collaboration with MOHAN Foundation, organized an awareness session on organ donation for the Neuro Surgery CCU and CTVS-ICU. This was the third session in a series designed to sensitize nursing officers at AIIMS Rishikesh about the critical importance of organ donation.
The session was led by Mr. Sanchit Arora, Project Leader at MOHAN Foundation stationed at AIIMS Rishikesh, with support from Mr. Deshraj Solanki and Mr. Vrishabh Panchal, Transplant Coordinators at the institute. The participants included nursing staff from the Department of Neuro Surgery.
The session began with an introduction to MOHAN Foundation, emphasizing its mission and objectives. Mr. Sanchit Arora delivered a comprehensive presentation on organ donation, covering the following key topics:
• The significance of organ donation and donor eligibility.
• The differences between living and deceased donors.
• Organ donation processes during life and after death.
• The concept of brain death versus coma.
• Procedures for declaring brain death.
• Eye and skin donation, including corneal preservation steps 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 organ donation.
• Myths and facts surrounding organ donation.
• The roles of nursing officers in the organ donation process.
Mr. Arora highlighted the urgent need for organ donation in India and encouraged participants to initiate discussions about the topic with their families, friends, and colleagues to foster a wider awareness.
Mr. Solanki provided an in-depth explanation of the hospital's in-house brain death committee and donor optimization protocols. He also shared insights from a recent organ donation case at AIIMS Rishikesh, offering practical examples of the process.
The session was highly interactive, with participants posing several important questions, including:
• Who should take the initiative for the declaration of brain death?
• Can nursing officers discuss organ donation with the deceased's family?
• How should a transplant coordinator be informed about potential brain-dead patients?
The participants suggested that the emergency contact details of the transplant coordinator should be readily available in every ward to facilitate the timely reporting of potential brain-dead patients and ensure prompt subsequent actions.
Approximately five nursing officers attended the session. They acknowledged the session's value in improving their understanding of organ donation and its significance, as well as their ability to contribute effectively to the cause.
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