Awareness session on organ donation at Mankind Pharma Limited, Okhla Industrial Estate Phase III, Delhi

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  Ms. Pallavi Kumar explaining the contents of a donor card

  

  A participant clarifying a doubt regarding brain death

  

  Ms. Pallavi Kumar answering a participants query on organ sharing and distribution

  

  Staff of Mankind Pharma at the session

  On February 29, 2020, MOHAN Foundation was invited to conduct an awareness session on organ donation for the employees of Mankind Pharma Limited in Okhla Industrial Estate Phase III, Delhi. The session was organized through an initiative by Dr. Shefali Sood of the Delhi chapter of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Yi (Young Indians). CII Yi is partnering with MF to take forward the cause of organ donation. The session was led by Ms. Pallavi Kumar and she was accompanied by Ms. Preeti Goswami.

   

  Mankind Pharma aspires to aid the community in leading a healthy life by formulating, developing, commercializing, and delivering affordable and accessible medicines that satisfy urgent medical needs. The company came into existence in 1986, and in 1991, the company was formed into a legal corporation and has products ranging from Pharma, OTC and FMCG brands.

   

  The session began with screening of the movie, 'Donate organs and save lives'. The movie gave a great message to the audience that how a single person can, by donating his/her organs after death, save and change the lives of at least eight other people. Ms. Pallavi began the session by asking the participants that why we need to donate organ and why it is important? Many people responded and answered:

  • By donating organs, we can save lives of other.
  • Human body is of no use after death so we should donate our organs and give life to other     people.
  • It is very hard to receive organs at the time of transplant.

   

  Ms. Pallavi asked the audience that what organs can a living person donate? To this many people raised their hands and answered - Liver & Kidney.

   

  To make the participants realized the importance of organ donation and to inform them that age is not a bar in donating organ, Ms. Pallavi gave examples of organ donation cases such as a newborn baby who became the youngest ever organ donor in Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh. Despite living for even less than 70 hours, the baby saved an adult's life. Both her kidneys were transplanted into an adult. She also informed the participants that an 88 year old man, Late Shri Tejram donated his kidneys and liver to a young recipient.

   

  She then explained the basic concepts of organ donation and transplantation with the help of a powerpoint presentation. The following topics were explained in detail:

  • Why donate organs?
  • The reason for increased ratio of waiting list in India
  • Brain death
  • Transplantation of Human Organs Act 1994
  • Difference between cardiac death and brain death
  • Which organs can be donated in cardiac and brain death
  • Difference between brain death and coma
  • Eye Donation

   

  While on the subject of brain death, a movie was shown to give clarity on the difference between brain death and coma. Myths and facts on organ donation were also discussed.

   

  After showing the movie, Ms. Pallavi asked the participants that how many of them heard about brain death before? Some people raised their hands and then she asked did anyone know about the difference between brain death and coma? Most of the participants said when the brain stopped functioning then it was brain death and in coma, patient was alive. Out of 15 participants 3 people believed that brain dead and coma were the same and 3 believed that if a person was brain dead, he is dead.

   

  It was a very interactive session in which the audience raised many questions such as:

  • Is the rate of organ donations in Delhi NCR high?
  • Is there any recovery from brain death?
  • What happens when a suicide death case occurs? What are the formalities to do while donating the organs?
  • If a person who is bitten by a snake can donate his organ?
  • Sometimes there is possibility of organ donation but most hospitals do not have a proper system to declare brain death?
  • There is a huge lack of systems in Government hospitals to do organ transplant
  • Government hospitals should be given some funds from Central government to do organ transplants and to bear the medicine cost of the recipients.
  • Who bears the transplant bill in the hospital?
  • What is the success rate of MOHAN foundation, NOTTO in the area of organ donation?
  • Which hospitals in Delhi NCR do organ transplant?
  • In case of accident, if a person can donate his eyes?
  • Do family health insurance companies cover the expense of organ transplant?

   

  At the end of the session, Ms. Pallavi explained the importance of eye donation and the whole process of eye donation. She motivated the audience to pledge for eye donation. She also explained how one could pledge to be an organ donor.

   

  The session was attended by close to 20 participants. 8 donor cards were picked up.

  
  
  Source-Ms. Preeti Goswamy