MOHAN Foundation, an NGO that has been working in the field of deceased organ donation for the past 18 years signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), UK on 30th January 2015 in Chennai. The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr. J. Radhakrishnan, IAS, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu. The objective is to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing between the two organisations with the aim of increasing organ donation rates in India and the United Kingdom.
The MoU was signed at the culmination of a consultative meeting for senior Transplant Coordinators from across the country organised by MOHAN Foundation. This is the second such national meeting that has been held to address the learning needs and challenges faced by senior transplant coordinators in the country. Transplant coordinators have a key role to play in the organ donation pathway and do the most difficult task of supporting and obtaining consent for donation from a grieving family.
Dr. Sunil Shroff, Managing Trustee, MOHAN Foundation said, “An inspiring example is the work of MOHAN Foundation's transplant coordinators based at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai. Between February 2010 and December 2014, the families of 160 brain dead patients were counselled about organ donation. 106 families said 'yes' - making the choice to donate the organs of their loved ones to perpetuate life rather than having the organs buried or cremated. This is a 66% consent or conversion rate, which is comparable to that in the West.”
The signatories of the MoU were Prof. James Neuberger Associate Medical Director for Organ Donation and Transplantation, NHSBT and Dr. Sunil Shroff, Managing Trustee, MOHAN Foundation. Also present was Dr. Satya Vrat Sharma, MBE, Chair, Promoting Organ Donation (POD), UK and Chair of the MoU Steering/Implementation Group. Prof. Neuberger and Dr. Sharma expressed optimism that sharing knowledge and experience on the different aspects of organ donation and transplantation would have a positive impact, especially on minority and hard-to-reach groups.
Dr. Sunil Shroff said that this collaboration had come about because of the unflagging enthusiasm and great initiative shown by Dr. N. Sridhar, Former NHSBT Regional Lead for Organ Donation, Midlands, UK and presently Senior ICU consultant, Intensive Care Unit, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai.
The MoU will be reaffirmed in UK on the 26th of February 2015 in London at the House of Lords. The MoU launch will be led by Baroness Ilora Finlay, a distinguished physician and currently President of the British Medical Association.
About MOHAN FoundationMOHAN Foundation, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, was started in 1997 by like-minded doctors and non-medical professionals to promote organ donation. It is a registered NGO with Income Tax exemption under Section 80G and 35AC and has offices in Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Information Centres in Coimbatore, Nagpur, Chandigarh, Vijayawada, Jaipur and USA.
For further details, please contact:Dr. Sumana Navin, Course Director, MOHAN Foundation
Phone: 044-26447000, Mobile: 7708668831
Email:
[email protected]www.mohanfoundation.org
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