Under the auspices of AIIMS Rishikesh, MOHAN Foundation (MF), Uttarakhand conducted an organ donation awareness session at Nirmal Ashram Deepmala Public School, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, in association with Rishikesh Eye Bank, Department of Ophthalmology, AIIMS Rishikesh, on April 16, 2026. The invitation had been extended by Ms. Neha Bhalla, Counselling Psychologist at the school.
The session featured presentations by Mr. Mahipal Chouhan, Senior Nursing Officer, Manager at Rishikesh Eye Bank, AIIMS Rishikesh, and Mr. Arun Sharma, Program Executive, MF, Uttarakhand and was also joined by Mr. Sanchit Arora, Project Leader, MOHAN Foundation, stationed at AIIMS Rishikesh and Ms. Bindiya Bhatia, Counselor, Rishikesh Eye Bank, AIIMS Rishikesh. The event saw participation from the staff and students of classes 11 and 12.
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.
Ms. Bindiya Bhatia continued the session by elaborating on corneal donation, explaining its process and significance. She also conducted a brief activity in which participants were asked to close their eyes for a minute, helping them better understand the experience of visual impairment.
Mr. Arun actively engaged the students by encouraging them to share their existing knowledge about organ donation and then built upon their responses by elaborating on key topics, including the concept and importance of organ donation, eligibility criteria for donors, differences between living and deceased donation, organ donation during life and after death, the concept of brain death and how it differs from coma, eye and skin donation along with corneal preservation after death, the Transplantation of Human Organs & Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994, living kidney transplantation services available at AIIMS Rishikesh, common myths and facts related to organ donation, ways individuals can contribute to this noble cause, and the goals and objectives of MOHAN Foundation along with the Anudaan initiative.
Through a video presentation, he further explained the concept and criteria of brain death and how it differs from coma.
Mr. Arun 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.
Subsequently, Ms. Bhalla, addressed the gathering and reiterated the importance of organ donation, urging everyone to actively promote and consider pledging.
At the end of the session, participants applauded the efforts of AIIMS Rishikesh and MOHAN Foundation, with many expressing their intention to discuss organ donation with their families and consider pledging.
The event witnessed the participation of approximately 300 individuals.
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