MOHAN Foundation in association with NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization) conducted the first joint Transplant Coordinators’ Training Programme at NOTTO at the NOTTO office in Safadarjung Hospital, New Delhi from July 20- 24, 2015

 

NOTTO is in the process of developing a standardized national training curriculum and this training was the first step towards that process. MOHAN Foundation was invited by Dr Jagdish Prasad (Director General) and Dr. Saudan Singh (Director NOTTO) to conduct the training. NOTTO invited academicians, medical & non-medical people and others – to observe and give feedback.

 

National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) is a National level organization set up under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. NOTTO will function as an apex centre for all India activities of coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of organ and tissues and registry for the same in the country.

 

The 5 day training attracted 29 participants from across 19 private and government hospitals. The coordinators that attended the training were from the following hospitals:

• Jaypee Hospital
• Bata Hospital
• Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute (PSRI)
• G B pant Hospital
• St. Stephen’s Hospital
• Primus Super Specialty Hospital
• Saroj Hospital
• Safdarjung Hospital
• Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital
• Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital
• Maharaja Agrasen Hospital
• Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital
• Max Super Specialty Hospital
• Popular Hospital
• Sri Balaji Action Medical institute
• Jaipur Golden Hospital
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
• Medanta – The Medicity
• Moolchand Hospital.

 

The participants were doctors, nurses, social workers and transplant coordinators. The training was held by the core trainers of MOHAN Foundation (Dr. Sunil Shroff, Dr Sumana Navin, Ms. Lalitha Raghuram, Ms Pallavi Kumar and Dr Muneet Sahi) along with the support of other faculty from Safdarjung and other government and private hospitals.

 

It was an expansive training, where a range of topics, from the very basic to the complex, were dealt with in a very simple to understand manner. The speakers were all very enthusiastic and made the whole learning experience a remarkable one for all present. Even those who had attended the training previously felt that there was something new to learn. Sessions under the following heads were covered over the 5 days:

1. Concepts of Organ Donation & Issues related to brain death
2. Role of transplant coordinator – including skills and qualities
3. Transplantation of Human Organs Act
4. Medico Legal Issues and the role of police and the forensic
5. Grief Counseling of Donor families ( Including role plays by simulating real life situations)
6. Tissue Donation
7. Basics of Organ failure & Transplantation
8. Ethical and socio-cultural aspects of organ donation
9. How to run a successful deceased donation program in your hospital – processes, formalities and other essential ingredients

 

Films on various topics were screened and group activities such as poster making, slogan writing etc. were also organized to elicit trainee’s participation.

 

The DGHS, Dr Jagdish Prasad graced the occasion by inaugurating the programme on the first day of the training. He stressed that Transplant Coordinators being the crux of the programme should not just see this as a job, but rather be passionate about it and empathize with the family members and be there for them irrespective of their donation decision.

 

The training was concluded with a valedictory function which was graced once again by Dr Prasad. He congratulated the participants for successfully completing their training. He also expressed that there was now an expectation from each one of them to at least make two donations happen in the coming six months in their respective hospitals. Some of the participants shared their experience and gave feedback of the training. Certificates were distributed by Dr Prasad.