On October 16, 2024, MOHAN Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Coventry University. This agreement aims to enhance global education in organ donation and transplantation and foster collaborative research. The MoU exchange ceremony was held at the Coventry University India Hub in New Delhi, with both online and in-person participation from dignitaries.
Key participants included Dr. Sunil Shroff, Managing Trustee of MOHAN Foundation; Prof. Nithya Krishnan, Consultant Transplant Nephrologist at Coventry University / University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust; Ms. Leena Kukreja, Regional Managing Director at Coventry University Group’s India Hub; Dr. Jonathan Young, Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust; Michael Houlgate, Deputy Director at the British Council; Dr. Satya Sharma, MBE, Chair of Commonwealth Tribute to Life and National Health Service Blood and Transplant, UK; Dr. Vikas Mahatme, Member of Parliament, India; Dr. Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Founder of Parliament Health; Dr. Michael Rees, CEO of APKAD (Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation), Professor of Neurology, Director of Renal Transplantation, and Transplant Surgeon at the University of Toledo Medical Center; Mr. Atul Agnihotri, Chief Global Growth Officer at Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (APKD); Dr. Craig Blyth, Strategic Lead for International (Health and Care); Dr. Samiran Nundy, President of AIIMS Rishikesh; Dr. O. P. Kalra, Professor and Head of the Department of Nephrology, Santosh Medical College and Hospital; and Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director at MOHAN Foundation, NCR, along with the NCR team.
The event was moderated by Ms. Leena Kukreja, who initiated the discussion by highlighting Coventry University Group’s commitment to benefiting communities in the UK and globally. She expressed excitement about the opportunity to share research and teaching expertise to support this collaboration, noting that India’s growing talent pool, youthful population, and expanding research sector make it an ideal partner for Coventry University’s collaborative approach.
Dr. Craig Blyth elaborated on Coventry University’s global presence, mentioning that the university supports over 36,000 students, including healthcare professionals, and partners with more than 40 overseas institutions across 30 countries.
Dr. Sunil Shroff provided an overview of MOHAN Foundation’s journey since its establishment in 1997 to promote organ donation in India. He addressed the critical supply-demand gap in organ donation and introduced initiatives like MOHAN Foundation’s Ambassador Program, the Anudaan platform for making transplants affordable, online courses for medical professionals, and apps designed to support organ donation. He shared that the online courses, which cover ethical practices, legal frameworks, and clinical protocols, have received nearly 95% positive feedback from over 1,265 participants. Dr. Shroff also highlighted the use of technology to raise awareness through social media and support initiatives like MOHAN Foundation’s 24/7 helpline and crowdfunding platforms such as Milaap and Ketto.
He emphasized the transformative potential of technology in organ donation and transplantation, particularly through AI. He discussed AI-powered tools like artificial neural networks for matching swap transplants and prediction models for deceased donor transplant outcomes. He also introduced the AI-powered website www.organpredict.ai, which provides unprecedented precision in predicting graft survival for both living and deceased donor transplants, and has been adopted by registries in the UK and UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing).
Prof. Nithya Krishnan spoke about the future of the partnership, underscoring the goal of making training materials on organ donation accessible globally for healthcare professionals. She also discussed plans to deepen research on AI’s role in improving transplant services, with a vision of establishing UHCW NHS Trust and Coventry University as global leaders in transplantation. She introduced the team from Coventry University, UHCW NHS Trust, MOHAN Foundation, and NHSBT involved in the partnership.
Dr. Jonathan Young expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, reaffirming Coventry University’s commitment to expanding global opportunities, especially in India and the Global South.
Dr. Satya Sharma highlighted the international collaboration across 44 countries under the Commonwealth Tribute to Life initiative, aimed at strengthening organ donation efforts. He emphasized that by sharing knowledge and expertise, the goal is to increase ethical organ and tissue donation and transplantation for the benefit of all Commonwealth citizens.
The Chief Guest, Dr. Vikas Mahatme, Member of Parliament, India, delivered a keynote address, congratulating both teams on this significant partnership.
The ceremony concluded with the formal signing of the MoU, followed by a group photo to commemorate this exciting new chapter in organ donation and transplantation.
Close to 35 participants attended the ceremony.
News coverage link:
https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/news/coventry-university-warwickshire-nhs-trust-enter-organ-transplantation-tie-up-articlepage-180097
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