On September 28, 2023, Mr. Gabriel Pereira, Organ Donation Ambassador from MOHAN Foundation was invited by Ms. Shirley Picardo Manager HR to give a lecture on organ donation for the staff of Teva Pharmaceuticals | Watson Pharma Pvt. Ltd, at Verna Industrial Estate, Verna, Goa.

 

Before starting the session, Gabriel asked the staff if they knew anything about organ donation and he received few replies. This was to gauge their understanding of the subject.

 

He then, explained what organ donation is, the process of removing an organ or tissue from one person, the donor, and transplanting it to another person with an end stage organ failure, the recipient.

 

He also shared with the audience his personal experience where his sister-in-law had to undergo a kidney transplant and how he got motivated to take the MOHAN Foundation’s Organ Donation Ambassador course so that he could encourage people to take up this cause. Since then, he has made it his mission to spread the word about organ donation so that no one dies for lack of an organ. He also explained to the audience that MOHAN is not a name but an acronym that stands for Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network. The organization is based in Chennai, and he operated from Mapusa in North Goa.

 

The following topics were discussed.

§ The concept of organ donation

§ Types of death - cardiac death and brain death, which organ or tissues are donated in cardiac death or brain death.

§ Which are the approved transplant hospitals in Goa and which organs do they transplant.

§ Demand and supply of organs

§ Whole body donation

§ Organ failure is a silent tsunami, what precautious one can take to avoid such a tsunami in one’s life.

Gabriel explained that most religions support organ donation, as he once attended a seminar with the spiritual advisors of the Islamic, Hindu, and Christian faiths, and all unanimously supported that organ donation was a noble act. He also added that one can always consult their spiritual or faith leader when in doubt.

 

At the end of the session, Ms. Gaury Kamat the Senior Manager HR thanked Mr. Gabriel for providing such comprehensive information on organ donation, saying that they had learnt something new.

 

Close to 25 individuals attended the session, and 14 pledged to donate their organs.