On June 3, 2024, the MOHAN Foundation held an awareness session and information desk on organ donation at the District Hospital, Thoubal. This initiative aimed to educate the public about the importance and process of organ donation, ultimately encouraging more people to become donors.

 

Dr. W. Ruhinikumar, the Medical Superintendent of the District Hospital, Thoubal, and Dr. N. Reagan Singh, the Director in Charge of the Manipur State Eye Bank (MSEB), oversaw the coordination efforts. MOHAN Foundation conducted the programme in collaboration with MSEB, a key partner in this initiative.

 

Ms. Laishram Monica Devi, the Programme Officer, and Ms. Thoidingjam Udayini Khuman, the Transplant Coordinator of MOHAN Foundation, led the session. The team was instrumental in the event's success, as they represented the foundation's ongoing efforts to promote organ donation across the region.

 

Ms. Monica began the session by addressing the attendees in the Outpatient Department (OPD). She provided an insightful talk on organ donation. Further, the team of MF and MSEB delivered talks to different groups of people, each consisting of 10–15 individuals. The team addressed the following topics:

 

• The need for organ donation in society is well-established.

• Types of donations

• India's transplant waiting list

• Facts and myths about organ donation

• Corneal donation

• The Manipur State Eye Bank plays an important role.

• Brain death vs. circulatory death

• Organ donation vs. body donation

• The story of deceased organ donations in Manipur is fascinating.

• Family consent plays a crucial role in the process of organ donation.

 

After that, they set up an information desk near the OPD counter. Numerous hospital patients also stopped by the desk and asked various questions. To name a few:

 

• Is it necessary to register to receive an organ from a brain-dead donor?

• There is a connection between a donor card and a waiting list registry.

• Can anybody be an organ donor?

 

At the end of the program, the hospital's medical superintendent expressed gratitude to the MF team for taking the initiative to raise awareness and looked forward to further events during the 15-day eye donation campaign.

 

During the program, close to 300 participants gained knowledge about organ donation, and 14 of them pledged to donate their organs