On October 31, 2025, MOHAN Foundation in collaboration with the AIIMS Rishikesh, conducted an organ donation awareness session at Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, SRT Campus, Chamba, Tehri, Uttarakhand. The session was organized at the invitation of Dr. Sunita Godiyal, Dean at the Department of Education, SRT Campus, Chamba, Tehri.
The session featured presentations by Mr. Mahipal Chouhan, Senior Nursing Officer, Manager at Rishikesh Eye Bank, AIIMS Rishikesh; Mr. Vrishabh Panchal, Transplant Coordinator, Division of Organ Transplant, AIIMS Rishikesh and Mr. Sanchit Arora, Project Leader, MOHAN Foundation, stationed at AIIMS Rishikesh and was also joined by Mr. Arun Sharma, Program Executive, MF, Uttarakhand. The event saw participation from the staff and students of Educational Department, including PhD Scholars.
The session commenced with a presentation by Mr. Mahipal Chouhan who outlined the achievements of the Rishikesh Eye Bank and elaborated on the procedures for eye donation. He emphasized the feasibility of facilitating donations from home following a death and underscored the critical need for eye donation. His address covered key aspects including the role and functioning of an eye bank, causes of corneal blindness, donor eligibility, tissue preservation, corneal evaluation and the process for pledging corneas.
Mr. Vrishabh Panchal commenced the session by discussing the complexities of advanced clinical procedures in organ transplantation and provided a comprehensive overview of the status of organ donation in India, addressing key topics such as:
• Kidney transplant waiting lists in Asia
• Advantages of transplant surgeries compared to alternative treatments
• Recent advancements in transplant procedures
• Living and deceased donation
Through a video presentation, he elucidated the concept and criteria of brain death and how it differs from coma.
Mr. Sanchit Arora addressed the common perceptions and myths surrounding organ donation. Additionally, he detailed the process for registering and pledging to donate organs after death and displayed the MOHAN Foundation's 24/7 helpline number, addressing following topics such as:
• Transplantation of Human Organs & Tissues Act, 1994,
• Goals and objectives of MOHAN Foundation and the Anudaan initiative
• Ways individuals can contribute to this noble cause.
Mr. Arora concluded by urging participants to discuss organ donation with their families, friends, and colleagues. He also recommended the film Aye Zindagi on Zee5 and Youtube for further insights into the topic.
The session was highly interactive, with participants actively engaging in the discussion and posing numerous questions, such as:
• Who has the authority to declare that a person is brain dead?
• Why is organ donation possible only in cases of brain death and not in circulatory death?
• Can orphans or individuals without any family members donate or pledge their organs?
• Is it legally or ethically permissible to buy or sell organs?
• If a person passes away at home, is it still possible to donate their organs?
• Why are families often not informed about the brain death of a patient in hospitals?
• After organ donation, will the donor’s family be informed about who received the organs?
• How long can organs remain viable for transplantation after being retrieved?
• What measures are taken to ensure transparency and fairness in organ allocation
At the end of the session, participants applauded the efforts of AIIMS Rishikesh and the MOHAN Foundation, with many expressing their intention to discuss organ donation with their families and make pledges.
The event witnessed the participation of approximately 60 individuals, and 14 participants filled the pledge forms for corneal donation provided by the Rishikesh Eye Bank, AIIMS Rishikesh.
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