For the first time in Madurai a one-week Transplant Coordinators’ Training Programme was conducted from 8th to 12th October 2018 by MOHAN Foundation. This training was conducted under the aegis of National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN). There were 40 participants from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Bihar and Puducherry. This was the 57th training programme conducted by MOHAN Foundation and the 23rd in partnership with NOTTO. The training programme was supported by the Tata Trusts.
The training programme started with an inaugural function. Dr. D. Maruthupandian, Dean, Madurai Medical College and Govt. Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, Dr. S. Shanmugasundaram, Medical Superintendent, Govt. Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, Mrs. Lalitha Raghuram, Country Director, MOHAN Foundation and Mr. K. Raghuram, graced the inaugural ceremony. During the chief guest address, Dr. D. Maruthupandian, Dean, Madurai Medical College and Govt. Rajaji Hospital, Madurai spoke about the tremendous work done in the state of Tamil Nadu in the field of organ donation and transplantation.
Sessions on various topics such as Basic concepts of organ donation, the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, Grief counselling and approaching a family for organ donation with case studies, NGOs and State level bodies and status of deceased donation in India, coordinating deceased organ donation in a hospital, role and qualities of a transplant coordinator with the help of case studies, history of transplantation, successful organ donation and transplant programmes in the world, body donation, and ethics in organ donation and transplantation were taken by Mrs. Lalitha Raghuram, Country Director, Dr. Sumana Navin, Course Director, Ms. Sujatha Suriyamoorthi, Manager-Information Systems and Ms. Ann Alex, Programme Associate representing the MOHAN Foundation team. Group activities, interactive sessions, role plays and quiz on organ donation and transplantation were moderated by the team. Educative videos and awareness films were also screened during the training.
Dr. Sri Saravanan, Department of Neurosurgery, Madurai Medical College spoke on ‘Identifying and certifying a brain stem death’. Dr. T.V Vikram Sagar, Consultant Nephrologist, Velammal Medical College Hospital & Research Institute spoke about Kidney diseases and dialysis in which he talked about the risks and complications to the donor in living donor transplant. He also stressed that the incidence of end stage renal failure is on the rise and the number of patients waiting for a transplant is increasing. Hence it is important to have a nationwide deceased donation programme.
The participants with experience in living donor transplants listed out the procedures, legal formalities and role of a transplant coordinator involved in the entire process which was moderated by Ms. Sujatha Suriyamoorthi. Dr. Aram Subramanian, Consultant - Plastic, Reconstructive, Hand & Microvascular Surgeon, Madurai Medical College introduced the topic of Skin donation and transplantation to the participants. Dr. S Vijay Anand, Head-Critical Care, Velammal Medical College Hospital and Research Institute spoke on ‘Medical management of a potential brain dead donor in an ICU’.
The pre-operative coordination and post-operative care and the contraindications involved in a kidney transplant were briefed by Dr. Paul Vincent, Consultant - Urologist, Meenakshi Mission Hospital & Research Centre. Prof. Dr. A. Rathinavel, Head, Dept. of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Madurai Medical College with the help of videos explained about Heart diseases and transplantation.
Dr. Rajesh Prabhu, Gastroenterologist, Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Madurai and Dr. G. Palanivelraju, Consultant - Adult & Paediatric HPB & Liver Transplantation Surgery, Apollo Specialty Hospitals, Madurai spoke on Liver diseases, End Stage Liver Failure and Liver Transplant respectively. Both the faculty members joined together for the discussion and addressed the queries raised by the participants.
Dr. Arun Balan, Forensic Medicine, Madurai Medical College spoke on role of the Forensic Medicine in facilitating deceased donation in a medico-legal case (MLC). He also briefed on coordinating with the Police, legal formalities involved. This was followed by questions from the participants which were answered by Dr. Vijay Balaji, Forensic Medicine, Madurai Medical College. He also mentioned how the Forensic Medicine personnel could channel better communication and coordination with the police.
Mr. G. Mukesh, Transplant Coordinator, Velammal Medical College Hospital & Research Institute enlightened the participants on the role of a recipient coordinator in liver transplantation. He also shared some of his personal experiences in transplant coordination. Dr. D. Saravanan, Eye Bank Manager, Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai spoke on corneal donation and transplantation. Most of the time, the families of the deceased were not given an option to donate their loved ones’ organs and tissues and this is mainly because lack of systems and personnel in the hospitals.
Dr. Vasanthi Ramesh, Director, NOTTO explained the roles and responsibilities of the National, Regional and State Bodies and stressed on being transparent while working in this field. Dr. R. Kanthimathy, Member Secretary, TRANSTAN, spoke on the work being done by TRANSTAN. She briefed the participants about the coordination process involved between TRANSTAN and the hospital transplant coordinators before, during and after the donation.
Present at the Valedictory function were Dr. Vasanthi Ramesh, Director, NOTTO and Dr. R. Kanthimathy, Member Secretary, TRANSTAN and Dr. Sumana Navin, Course Director, MOHAN Foundation. Dr. Vasanthi Ramesh wished the participants well and asked them to work with passion and to bring India on the world organ donation map. The message from Dr. R. Kanthimathy was that the transplant coordinators should adhere to guidelines and protocols to ensure smooth functioning of the organ donation and transplantation programme. The participants were awarded completion certificates.
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