Patient Education Workshop on ‘Kidney Transplant - A Gift of Life’ for Dialysis Patients - TRIOMPH & NephroPlus Initiative

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  Group photo

  

  Mr. Kamal Shah, Co-Founder, NephroPlus giving the welcome note

  

  Ms. Pallavi Kumar speaking about organ allocation

  

  Dr. Muneet Kaur Sahi addressing the audience

  

  Ms. Shalini Periwal, a kidney donor sharing her experience

  

  Mr. Manish Mishra, a kidney recipient, sharing his experience

  

  Creative

  On August 5 & 7, 2021, TRIOMPH (Transplant Recipients of India and Organ failure patients - a Movement to Provide Hope), a Patient Support Group launched by MOHAN Foundation in association with NephroPlus organised, Hindi workshop, second in the series of Kidney Transplant workshop for the dialysis patients, caregivers & dialysis technicians of NephroPlus dialysis centres from across India. The first workshop was in Telugu which was organised for the dialysis patients of NephroPlus in Andhra Pradesh. In July 2021, MOHAN Foundation had entered into a partnership with NephroPlus, with an objective of educating dialysis patients about kidney transplants.

   

  The Hindi workshop’s first session was conducted on August 5, 2021 and the speaker was Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MOHAN Foundation, NCR. The speaker for the second session on August 7, 2021 was Dr. Muneet Kaur Sahi, Programme Manager, MOHAN Foundation, NCR. Mr. Kamal Shah, Co-Founder, NephroPlus also joined the workshop. Mrs. Shalini Periwal, a kidney donor and Mr. Manish Mishra, a kidney recipient were also invited to share their experiences post-transplant.

   

  NephroPlus is India’s largest dialysis centre network. With a strong commitment to quality, NephroPlus is spearheading a change in the way dialysis is done in India. One of the main goals at NephroPlus is to enable dialysis guests to lead lives as close to normal as possible. NephroPlus strives to ensure that dialysis sessions remain a small part of a guest’s life and they encourage them to do things everyone does – work, travel, have fun.

   

  The sessions began with a welcome note by Mr. Kamal Shah. He expressed his gratitude towards MOHAN Foundation and TRIOMPH for their outstanding work in the field of organ donation and kidney transplant. He said NephroPlus strongly believes that kidney transplant is the best solution for dialysis patients to live a normal and healthy life.

   

  After the welcome note, MOHAN Foundation representatives took the participants through a PowerPoint presentation that gave an insight into how a patient on dialysis can opt for kidney transplant, how to register for kidney transplant, how to choose a hospital for kidney transplant, waiting list and its point system, who will get priority, living donor or deceased donor – different aspects and requirements in accordance with the Transplant Law.

   

  Other topics discussed during the presentation were: 

  • Challenges faced by kidney patients who are on dialysis
  • Annual cost of Dialysis vs cost of kidney transplant
  • Quality of life after transplant
  • Approved hospitals for kidney transplant in India
  • Types of kidney donor
  • Buying and selling of kidney/organs is illegal
  • Immunosuppression after kidney transplant
  • Government schemes, NGOs and crowdfunding to receive financial support for kidney transplant for the underprivileged patients.
  • Role of MOHAN Foundation

   

  The presentation was followed by sharing by Ms. Shalini Periwal, a kidney donor who donated a kidney to her husband and Mr. Manish Mishra, a kidney recipient who received a kidney from his brother.

   

  Both the workshops were very interactive, and a lot of queries were raised by the participants and by viewers on Facebook as it was a live session. To name a few:

   

  For the speakers

  • Can I get a second kidney transplant after the first one where the kidney lasted for 10 years?
  • Are diabetes and hypertension a contraindication to receiving or donating a kidney?
  • Which are the best hospitals for kidney transplant near Kota, Rajasthan?
  • How and where can I register my name for kidney transplant in Ludhiana?
  • My blood group is AB+ and my potential donor’s blood group is B+. Can there be donation in this case?
  • Who are the best kidney transplant surgeons, and which are the best hospitals for kidney transplant in Bangalore?
  • Is Swap donation possible when the donor’s blood group is O+?
  • If a person is suffering from CKD stage 5, can he register for kidney transplant?
  • Is it safe to do kidney transplant during COVID time?
  • Can a first cousin donate his kidney?

  
  For the kidney donor

  • Any changes in your daily routine or any precautions suggested by the nephrologist after the transplant.
  • Did you go through any complications or had any complaints after the transplant?
  • If a person has high blood pressure, can he donate his kidney?
  • Are you having any health issues post-donation? Are you on any medication post-transplant?
  • Is there any restriction on food intake?

   

  For the kidney recipient

  • What are the main reasons for kidney failure according to you?
  • Is there any restriction on food intake? What type of food are you eating?
  • What kind of diet are you taking post-transplant?
  • Can we eat raw food and salad post-transplant?
  • Is there any restriction on water intake?
  • Can you move freely or travel after your transplant surgery?

   

  Close to 290 participants attended the workshops through Zoom App. The workshops were also live on MOHAN Foundation’s social media pages, Facebook (436 views) and YouTube (73 views) for the general public.

  
  
  Source-Dr. Muneet Kaur Sahi and Ms. Preeti Goswami