Organ Donation Awareness Programme conducted for the Transgender Community in Chennai

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  Ms. Swetha Sudhakar, Director, Born2Win Social Welfare Trust speaking (File photo)

  

  Mr. Siva Shankar T S explaining the concept of organ donation at the online session

  

  Ms. Swetha Sudhakar (extreme right), Director, Born2Win Social Welfare Trust with Mr. SP Muthuraman (centre), veteran Tamil film director (File photo)

  

  Ms. Swetha Sudhakar (extreme left), Director, and Ms. Divya S. Sarathy (third from left), Trustee, Born2Win Social Welfare Trust (File photo)

  

  Ms. Divya S. Sarathy (standing third from right), Trustee, Born2Win Social Welfare Trust and Dr. Sumana Navin (standing extreme right), Course Director, MOHAN Foundation being felicitated on International Women's Day 2017 by Inner Wheel Clubs of Chennai (File photo)

  MOHAN Foundation conducted an organ donation awareness programme for the Transgender (Trans*) community from Born2Win Social Welfare Trust on 25^th May 2020 in Chennai. Mr. Siva Shankar T S and Dr. Sumana Navin conducted the session online via Zoom web conferencing platform. A total of 10 Trans* women attended the session. Ms. Divya. S. Sarathy, Trustee, Born2Win Social Welfare Trust said that all of them went back with a better understanding of what organ donation was and the role they could play in this ecosystem as a potential organ donor. Born2Win Social Welfare Trust is a Transgender person led organization that works towards the empowerment of members of the Transgender community in Tamil Nadu. It does this through creating positive role models within the community and by facilitating education & employment opportunities for them. 

   

  Mr. Siva Shankar started by explaining the need for organ donation in society and the basic concepts of organ donation and transplantation. He explained the following in detail:

  1. Circulatory death and brain death
  2. Organs that can be donated
  3. Brain death and its causes
  4. Legal framework in India
  5. Age criteria for organ donation
  6. Myths and facts
  7. State government authority’s (Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu) role in allocation of organs
  8. MOHAN Foundation and its activities

   

  The talk was followed by a Question & Answer session. Some of the thought-provoking questions that were asked during the session were:

  1. Since members of the Trans* community are more susceptible to a wide range of sexually transmitted infections (herpes, syphilis, hepatitis B, HIV) what are the ramifications for blood and organ donation?
  2. Do organ allocation policies discriminate against members of the Trans* community given the prejudices that exist even among healthcare professionals?
  3. Does the use of hormone therapy in the Trans* community preclude them from being blood or organ donors?
  4. Can breast implants be donated after death?
  5. What are the reasons for organ donation being denied between near relatives?
  6. What are the professional opportunities for the Trans* community in the field of organ donation?

   

  MOHAN Foundation would like to thank Ms. Swetha Sudhakar, Director, Born2Win Social Welfare Trust and Ms. Divya. S. Sarathy for organising and moderating the session.

  
  
  Source-Mr. Siva Shankar T S and Dr. Sumana Navin