On February 20th, 2014, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket in association with MOHAN Foundation organized a workshop on “Brain Death identification, certification and maintenance,” in the conference room, Max Hospital. The purpose of the workshop was to give them learning and hands on experience as they move forward in the deceased donation program at Max.

The workshop started with Dr. Kewal Krishan, Senior Consultant, CTVS, Max Hospital introducing the guest speakers Dr. Mainik Majumdar, Medical Donation Specialist & Intensivist, Peninsula, Victoria, Australia and Dr. Mathew Joseph, Professor, Department of Neurological Sciences, CMC, Vellore of the day to the group.

Dr. Mainik Majumdar’s presentation gave an overview on:

• The determination of futility of therapy, screening of potential donors, integration of organ and tissue donation requesting into end of life care
• Current attitudes to end of life care issues and organ and tissue donation in Australia

Dr. Mathew Joseph spoke on brain death certification and maintenance within the Indian context. His presentation also focused on issues like the time of death (first or second certification), how to conduct Apnoea test & the practical problems that arise while testing on a brain dead patient, counseling of the next of kin of a potential donor by the treating physician and hesitation to speak about ‘brain death’ and what maintenance protocol to be started as soon as brain death has been declared.

The talks were followed by a discussion.

 Dr. J.D.Mukherji, Director & HOD ,Neurology, presented his view on providing some sort of an incentive to the donor family especially if the donor is the sole breadwinner of the family and also asked the participants whether it would be an ethical thing to do since the law (THOA act) does not allow this.

Dr. Dinesh Khullar, Director & HOD, Nephrology & Kidney Transplant Medicine, stressed on the need to give recognition and incentives to the intensivists & neurosciences specialists who work behind the scenes in a deceased donation program and most often not given due credit, considering the fact that they are the ones who identify, certify and maintain a potential donor and act like a signpost because they show the way in determining the outcome.

 Other points of discussion among the group were:

• Whether it is fair to share the donor’s bill with the recipient family
• Need for a recipient waiting list
• Organ sharing protocol

Dr. Roopa Salwan, Director, Interventional Cardiology, emphasized on the need to improve the Cardiac Transplant Program and the involvement of the government organizations like ORBO to take proactive measures to make deceased donation program successful in North.