On October 12, 2020, MOHAN Foundation organized the seventh edition of the Synchrony Dialogues series. The title of the webinar was “Want to know more about Organ Donation?” MOHAN Foundation’s National Helpline has been flooded with calls after Dr. Sunil Shroff, Founder and Managing Trustee of MOHAN Foundation was featured in the ‘Karamveer’ episode on KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI (KBC) on October 9, 2020, on Sony Entertainment Television. Many queries have been raised by the people on organ donation such as what is organ donation? Who can donate organs? How to donate organs? With the growing curiosity and interest about organ donation among the callers, MOHAN Foundation decided to organize this webinar that was open for the general population to receive correct and full information about organ donation. The webinar was moderated by Ms. Lalitha Raghuram, Country Director of MOHAN Foundation and Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MOHAN Foundation (Delhi-NCR).

At the beginning of the webinar, a short film titled “Celebrating Life” was shown to the audience to understand the importance of organ donation and to see how one can give the gift of life to nine other people by donating his/her organs after death.

Ms. Raghuram welcomed all the audience and briefed them about the objectives of the webinar. She then requested Ms. Pallavi Kumar to begin the discussion. She began by saying that in India, many people want to donate their organs but are unable to because of lack of information on the pledging process. MOHAN Foundation has been working towards public awareness and promotion of organ donation since 1997. She said that it was high time for the people to come forward and pledge for organ donation in our country.

Ms. Lalitha and Ms. Pallavi discussed and explained the following topics in detail:

• Organ donation and its need in the society
• When and how does organ donation take place
• Organs that can be donated during life and after death
• Transplant waiting list in India
• The process of allocation of organs
• Brain death
• Difference between brain death and coma
• Contraindications to organ donation
• Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act 1994
• Role of MOHAN Foundation
• Eye Donation

Ms. Lalitha informed the viewers that eye donation is the simplest form of donation that can be done easily. She explained the whole process of eye donation and how one can pledge to be an organ donor. To make the audience understand how simple and easy eye donation is, Ms. Pallavi shared her personal experience of her father’s eye donation process. She informed that her father had died at home and it was a natural death. The eye technician and the team took hardly 20 minutes to retrieve the corneas. The process was so simple.

The audience was very excited during the live discussion and raised many questions. To name a few:

• How can a person receive an organ if no one in his/her family is available or ready to donate organs? What is the process?
• Death is death, so why classify it as a natural death or brain death?
• What is the difference between organ donation and whole-body donation?
• How does MOHAN Foundation help a person who is in need of an organ?

The webinar was live on Facebook (708 views), YouTube (more than 50 views) and MOHAN Foundation’s other social media pages on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

Click here to watch the video.