On December 30, 2021, MOHAN Foundation was invited to conduct an online awareness session as part of SBI National Awareness Campaign on Organ Donation for the employees of Chennai circle. The session was initiated by Smt. Manjula Kalyansundaram, Managing Director & CEO, SBI Foundation. Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MOHAN Foundation-Delhi NCR was invited as a speaker.

The SBI Foundation’s mission is to make resources available to the most vulnerable sections of the society directly and through strategic partnerships/collaborations with impact making entities in the social and development sector in the most transparent way to create inclusive sustainable development.

At the beginning of the session, Smt. Manjula Kalyansundaram welcomed all the participants and gave a brief introduced of SBI Foundation and SBI National Awareness Campaign. She then introduced Ms. Pallavi Kumar and invited her to begin the session. Before starting the session, Ms. Pallavi asked the audience, “What comes to your mind when you think about organ donation? She said organ donation is not only associated with death but it is actually associated with life. She then explained the basic concepts of organ donation and transplantation with the help of a simple PowerPoint presentation.

The following topics were explained in detail: 

• Organ donation and its need
• When and how does organ donation take place
• Organs that can be donated during life and after death
• Who can donate organs?
• Brain death
• Difference between brain death and coma
• Contraindications to organ donation
• Transplant Law
• Role of MOHAN Foundation
• Organ donation Myths and Facts
• Eye Donation 

The participants were interactive during the presentation and asked many questions. To name a few:

• How are the recipients selected? Is there any list maintained?
• Do we only need to inform our family members that we have volunteered for organ donation?
• What is the difference between organ donation and body donation?
• If I am a donor, can my family nominate a recipient?
• Is there any age limit for organ donation?
• Under what circumstances, a person is eligible for organ donation, who died in an accident?
• Can you please explain the role of MOHAN Foundation?
• Are patients who died due to COVID-19 eligible for organ donation?
• Can we donate our organs in case of natural death?
• Can a person who is dying and is in a reasonable position of decision making, donate his organs through surgery?
• Can a minor pledge for organ donation?
• Is there any privileges accorded to donor families?

Ms. Pallavi also explained the whole process of eye donation. She informed the participants that eye donation is a simple procedure that can be even done at home. At the end of the session, the video of Shri Dinesh Khara, Chairman, SBI was also shown to the audience to enlighten the participants about the newly launched project ‘Gift Hope, Gift Life”, supported by SBI Foundation, with MOHAN Foundation as the implementing partner.

At the end, Mr. Lalit Mohan, President & COO, SBI Foundation gave the vote of thanks. He said the session was very fruitful and he expressed his wish to organize awareness sessions in collaboration with MOHAN Foundation in near future.  

Close to 1006 participants attended the session.