A kiosk on Organ donation was set up in the India International Trade Fair, Pragati Maidan in the health pavilion as a part of the Ministry of Family Health and Welfare’s initiative to increase awareness on organ donation. The fair was a 14 daylong event starting from November 14, 2014 and concluding on November 27, 2014.
It attracted a healthy mix of visitors from all over India as well as countries abroad as Thailand and South Africa were the partner countries for the event. The stall had representatives from DGHS (Directorate General Health Services, Govt. of India), NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organization), and CHEB (Central Health Education Bureau) to add to the representatives of MOHAN Foundation. The kiosk comprised of visual aids describing the types of organ donation as well as fliers and pamphlets that could be distributed among the public. Also, people who expressed the desire to pledge their organs at the stall were given copies of Form 7 of the THO Act to be duly filled and submitted at the NOTTO Office in Safdurjung hospital, New Delhi. This data at a later stage would be included in the proposed National Donor Registry portal.
On each day of the fair, the health pavilion showcased an exclusive event on organ donation. These events ranged from lectures on organ donation by officials from the DGHS to organ donation themed Tambola. All the events elicited enthusiastic participation from the public and the feedback received was largely favorable. Ms. Rita Dar, the CHEB official who had organized the tambola games professed that getting across the message in a fun manner proved to be easier as well as made a lasting impression on the people. During these events, the transplant coordinators who represented MOHAN Foundation were specially invited on-stage to share their experiences and views regarding the reasons behind families of potential donors refusing to consent for organ donation.
On the whole the event ensured maximum exposure in terms of interaction with the public and discovering the nature of their queries and inhibitions about organ donation. Most queries were genuine concerns regarding time period for organ donation, utilization of the organs etc however some bizarre myths were also encountered as one gentleman enquired after having read elsewhere, if organs have memories which will be retained after being transplanted into another person’s body. On the last day of the fair, the numbers of organ donation pledges taken were counted to be approximately 200.
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