On February 19, 2025, the Division of Organ Transplant at AIIMS Rishikesh, in collaboration with MOHAN Foundation, conducted its Tenth awareness session on organ donation for the Neurology Surgery staff. The session aimed to sensitize nursing officers to the importance of organ donation and their role in the process.

The session was led by Mr. Sanchit Arora, Project Leader at MOHAN Foundation stationed at AIIMS Rishikesh, with support from Mr. Deshraj Solanki and Mr. Vrishabh Panchal, Transplant Coordinators at the institute. Nursing staff from the Department of Neurology actively participated.

Mr. Arora began with an introduction to the MOHAN Foundation, its mission, and objectives. He then covered key topics such as the significance of organ donation, donor eligibility, and the differences between living and deceased donors. The session also discussed brain death versus coma, procedures for declaring brain death, and the steps for eye and skin donation, including corneal preservation post-death. An overview of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 was provided, along with information on living kidney transplant facilities at AIIMS Rishikesh. Myths and facts about organ donation were also addressed, with an emphasis on the role of nursing officers in the organ donation process.

Mr. Arora emphasized the urgent need for organ donation in India, encouraging participants to initiate discussions about the topic with their families and peers. He also recommended watching the film Aye Zindagi on Zee5 for additional insights.

Mr. Panchal provided an explanation of the hospital's brain death committee and donor optimization protocols, sharing a recent organ donation case at AIIMS Rishikesh to offer practical examples of the process.

The session was interactive, with participants raising several questions, such as:

• In the most recent organ retrieval at AIIMS Rishikesh, under whose authority was the organ allocation process?

• Can a nursing officer initiate a conversation with the family about organ donation?

• Is police verification required in Medico-Legal Cases (MLC)?

• Are there any hospitals in Uttarakhand, other than AIIMS Rishikesh, that have an authorized brain death committee to declare brain death?

Approximately 10 nursing officers attended the session and expressed appreciation for the valuable insights. They acknowledged the session’s importance in enhancing their understanding of organ donation and their ability to contribute effectively to this noble cause.