On 20th September, 2013 a public awareness programme on organ donation was organised at MC Nagar, Chetpet, Chennai. The session was organised by Ms. Olive Shirley, Student of Bachelors of Social Work (BSW), Stella Maris College for Women, Chennai and a Trainee deputed at MOHAN Foundation, Chennai for her field work project. The session was conducted by Ms. Kavitha S and Mr. Prakash K, Transplant Coordinators’, MOHAN Foundation, Chennai.
To make the event lively the children in the area were involved. They were asked to hold placards with messages on organ donation. Also, they were asked to pick up chits of paper with different organ names written on it. They were directed to talk a few lines about the function the particular organ has in the human body.
After which the transplant coordinators’ spoke about the following topics: activities of MOHAN Foundation across the country to strengthen the deceased organ donation programme; about organ donation; difference between brain death, coma and cardiac death and about the donor card.
The participants asked several questions such as who should be contacted in case of an emergency, whether there is a charge to get the donor card and how to donate one’s eyes. The queries were answered by the coordinators’.
Around 30 people pledged their organs by signing the donor card.