On December 23, 2022, MOHAN Foundation was invited to conduct an online awareness session on organ donation for the staff of Shroffs Foundation Trust (SFT), Vadodara, Gujarat. The session was coordinated by Ms. Radhika Gade, Sr. Executive HR, Organizational Development, SFT, Vadodara, and Dr. Muneet Kaur Sahi, Program Manager, MOHAN Foundation, Delhi NCR, was the resource person for the session.

SFT was established in 1980 under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950 to improve the lives of impoverished communities in the region through holistic sustainable development. It has been involved in provision of livelihood security, drudgery reduction, natural resource management, health and education.

The online session was opened by Mr. Vikas Vaze, Chief Executive Officer, Shroffs Foundation Trust by introducing Dr. Muneet as the speaker for the session. Dr. Muneet began the session by introducing the concept of organ donation and also informed the participants of some facts regarding the oldest and eldest recorded donors in history. The concept of "brain death" was explained with the help of a short informative film. She also shed light on the concept of "consent" related to organ donation after death. She explained to the participants the various steps involved in a brain death declaration and clarified the concept of legal death.

The following topics were explained in detail: 

• Organ donation and its need
• Status of organ donation in India
• When and how does organ donation take place?
• Organs that can be donated during life and after death
• Transplant Law
• Cornea donation
• Brain death
• Causes of brain death
• Difference between brain death and coma
• Contraindications to organ donation
• Role of MOHAN Foundation
• Individuals and the General Public's Role in Raising Awareness About Organ Donation
• Organ Donation Myths and Facts

The following were some of the queries raised by the participants:

• Is the donor card from our country valid in other countries?
• What is body donation, and how is it different from organ donation?
• If someone wants to donate eyes, whom should they contact in Gujarat?
• How much time do organs survive once death is declared?
• If a family consents to organ donation in our hospital, how will the organs be allocated?

The audience was explained the process of organ donor pledging and the importance of family dialogue related to organ donation. Dr. Muneet outlined the various ways in which the participants could join/contribute to promoting and highlighting the cause of organ donation. She also shared with the audience, the importance of grief counselling while dealing with cases of brain death as she brought the programme to a close.

Mr. Prakash Tilekar, Senior Manager, HR department, expressed thanks to Dr. Muneet for the greatly informative session.

Close to 70 participants attended the session.