On August 13, 2024, Mr. Gabriel Pereira, an organ donation ambassador from the MOHAN Foundation, was invited to conduct an organ donation awareness talk for the staff of Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa, Sinquerim, Candolim, Goa, in commemoration of National Organ Donation Day.
Mr. Gabriel began by introducing the MOHAN Foundation and its 27 years of impactful work in the field of organ donation. He also shared his personal experience, recounting how his sister-in-law's kidney transplant inspired him to take the MOHAN Foundation’s Organ Donation Ambassador course. Motivated by this experience, he made it his mission to raise awareness about organ donation so that no one has to die for lack of an organ.
During the session, Mr. Gabriel engaged the staff by asking them about the number of transplant centers in Goa. He then informed them that there are only three hospitals in Goa that exclusively perform kidney transplants and two that conduct corneal transplants.
He also discussed the various options available for pledging to donate organs. He demonstrated how to use the QR code and explained the significance of ticking the organ donor box on Form 2 of the driving licence application, which indicates the holder's intention to be an organ donor. However, Mr. Gabriel stressed that the most important step is to inform one's family or next-of-kin about their desire to donate organs. He emphasized that India follows an opt-in policy, where the consent of the family or next-of-kin is required to proceed with organ donation.
The session also featured a brief animated presentation titled "Live Beyond Life," which focused on organ donation, as well as a film on organ donation produced by ROTTO-SOTTO, Mumbai.
A total of 20 employees attended the session.