On May 18, 2023, MOHAN Foundation (MF) was invited to conduct an awareness session on organ donation for the staff of Sethi Hospital, Gurugram. The session was organised by an MF intern, Mr. Sanchit Arora, a final-year student pursuing the Public Health Programme at Gurugram University. Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MF, Delhi office, was invited by Dr. Dipankar Sethi, Director, Sethi Hospital, as the resource person. She was accompanied by Mr. Sanchit and Ms. Simran Anand, Programme Officer, MF Delhi office.

The session was attended by Dr. A. K. Sethi, MD, Sethi Hospital, medical professionals, ward nurses, ICU staff and staff from the HR department and Food & Beverage.

Ms. Pallavi began the session by showing some short video clips of a heart recipient as well as a donor family. She then introduced MF to the participants. She asked the participants about their understanding of organ donation. She then used a PowerPoint presentation to introduce the topic of organ donation and its concepts.

The term brain death was explained with the help of a short informative film. Ms. Pallavi 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 the MOHAN Foundation
• Role of individuals and the public in creating awareness
• Organ donation: myths and facts

Many participants discussed their hospital-specific experiences with organ donation that they had. The audience was made aware of the steps involved in signing up to be an organ donor as well as the value of having a family discussion about it. Finally, Ms. Pallavi recommended that the institution begin at least corneal donation. Over all, the session was very interactive, with participants enthusiastically contributing to the discussion and asking many questions.

To name a few:

• What is the difference between coma and brain death?
• Brain death versus circulatory death: what is the difference?
• Can transplantation be free in any hospital?
• What is the procedure for becoming an NTORC?

At the conclusion, Dr A. K. Sethi, a member of Rotary Club Gurugram, thanked Ms. Pallavi for the presentation and suggested that MF should write to him for organizing a session for the members of the Rotary Club, Gurugram.

Close to 43 participants attended the talk and 8 of them pledged for organ donation.