On November 03, 2023, Ms Pallavi Kumar (Executive Director) was invited by the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar for a presentation and discussion on how to initiate the deceased donation program at SKIMS.

Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) is the largest medical institute under State Legislature Act in Srinagar, in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the only medical university of the union territory of J&K, headed by a director who is also the Ex-officio Secretary to the Government.

The meeting was coordinated by Dr Abdul Majeed (Prof & HOD, Department of Cardio Vascular Thoracic Surgery) who has a very strong desire and passion to start heart transplants at SKIMS. The hospital has an active living donor renal transplant program and have performed close to 550 renal transplants so far.

Ms Pallavi Kumar made a presentation on ‘Essential Components of a Deceased Organ Donation Program in a hospital’. This was followed by a discussion on which all components are already in place at SKIMS and what more needs to be done.

Dr Parvaiz Ahmad Koul (Director SKIMS and Ex-Officio Secretary to Government) participated actively in the discussion. He expressed that SKIMS would be very keen to start the program though he mentioned that there are some unique challenges of the state, citing religious barriers to organ donation, J&K largely being a Muslim state. Everyone present agreed that religious leaders need to be involved in this dialogue on organ donation.

The meeting was also attended by Prof. Farooq A. Jan (Medical Superintendent), Dr Saleem Wani (Head of department Urology), Dr Gh. Yaa Too (HOD Hospital Administration), Dr. Ashraf (HOD Nephrology), Dr Showkat Gorku (HOD Anesthesia), Dr Ab Rasheed (HOD Neurosurgery), Dr M Akbar (HOD Critical Care), Dr Basina (HOD Pathology), Ms. Diljit (Nursing Superitendent), Dr Nisar (HOD Pedialogy Surgery), Dr Hilal (HOD Cardiology), Dr Zafar Amin (HOD Imunology), Dr Zubair (Prof. CVTS SKIMS) and Mr. Lateef Kurpal (Chief Perfusionist).

The Director, Dr Koul ended the session by saying. “If not SKIMS, then who else”, clearly indicating that SKIMS was willing to lead the way for deceased organ donation in Jammu and Kashmir.