A group of 10, second year students pursuing their Bachelors in Social Work at Thiruthangal Nadar Arts College, accompanied by their Assistant Professor, visited the MOHAN Foundation office in Chennai on 29^th October 2021. The visit, a field exposure was part of the students’ course curriculum.  

Mr. Ganesh C, Marketing Coordinator of the Foundation welcomed the students. Dr. Hemal Kanvinde, Quality Assurance Officer of MOHAN Foundation introduced the activities, organisation structure, mission and vision of the Foundation. She also briefly introduced organ donation and its importance to the group. 

Ms. Ishwarya Thyagarajan made a presentation on the concepts of organ donation next. Organ failure and causes, brain death, types of donors, organs and tissues that can be donated, transplant law, role of a social worker, myths related to organ donation, donation statistics, and a recipient story were the highlights of her presentation. She also helped the students understand how to broach the subject of organ donation among family and friends. 

Following a short break, Mr. Ganesh C spoke about the various professional certificate courses offered by the Foundation, their eligibility criteria and career prospects. He elaborately explained the role of a transplant coordinator and grief counsellor in a successful organ donation case. 

The students asked the following few questions:

• Would a highly critical patient in the waiting list be able to get an organ immediately?
• How difficult is it to seek consent from a grieving family?
• What is the role of any NGO in the actual donation process?
• What happens when the family refuses to provide consent? 

Mr. Gokul shared his experience of donating blood to his grandmother for the first time. Ms. Noor Shaheen, thanked the Foundation and speakers on behalf of her institution. A couple of students while sharing their feedback, mentioned that they were under the assumption that commercial dealings of organs was legal, and the session was an eye opener for them. The visit ended with a group photo and the students promising to organise awareness campaigns wherever possible before they departed.