On December 16, 2021 Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MOHAN Foundation was invited to Shija Hospital,  Imphal to deliver a talk on – “Implementing a Deceased Organ Donation Programme in Hospitals – Key Success Factors.” She was accompanied by Ms. Sorokhaibam Roma Devi, Transplant Coordinator, MOHAN Foundation, North East.

The session was attended by Dr. Palin Khundongbam, Chairman and Managing Director, Shija Hospital along with the Head of Critical Care, Head of Neurology, Medical Superintendent, Head of Nursing (along with some nurses), Head of Nephrology (and his team) and Urology and other administrative staff of the hospital.

Ms. Pallavi began by congratulating the team for being the first and only hospital in Manipur performing kidney transplants. She then urged them to begin to look at deceased organ donation along with live donation. Her presentation outlined the various factors that ensure the success of a deceased donation program in a hospital – such as collective ownership and inter departmental co-ordination, formation of a steering committee to lead and monitor the program, setting up of robust SOP’s (Standard Operating Protocols) at every step, early identification and certification of Brain death and conducting activities to promote Organ Donation within the hospital and in the community.

Ms. Pallavi expressed that Shija Hospital was uniquely placed and adequately prepared to make deceased donation happen. She also encouraged them to think how organs will be shared with other government hospitals in the region in the absence of a registry. She said that they could inspire others to look at donation and transplantation in a positive light.

Dr. Palin addressed the group after the session and sought their feedback. He expressed that they were very keen to take up deceased donation and will soon put some systems in place to enable the same. He also shared that they were in the process of setting up testing facilities for cross match etc. to ease the process.

There was collective enthusiasm in the room. Ms. Pallavi was thanked and felicitated by the team.