On May 2, 2025, MOHAN Foundation conducted an awareness session on organ donation at Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The session was organized at the invitation of Mr. Naveen Kumar, Medical Social Worker at the hospital and an alumnus of MOHAN Foundation’s Transplant Coordinator’s Training Programme. Mr. Kumar had reached out via the Foundation’s 24x7 helpline to explore the possibility of conducting the session.
The session was led by Dr. Muneet Kaur Sahi, Programme Manager, MOHAN Foundation (NCR), and supported by Ms. Sanya Santosh, Programme Officer, MOHAN Foundation (NCR).
Dr. Suhani, Head of Department, Dietetics, was the host who warmly welcomed Dr. Muneet Kaur Sahi and Ms. Sanya Santosh at the beginning of the session. The session witnessed active participation from senior medical professionals and key hospital personnel, including Dr. Anil Kumar, Chief Operating Officer (COO); Dr. Dushyant Nadar, Group Director – Urology, Robotics & Kidney Transplant; Dr. Mahendra Sharma and Dr. S. Venkatesh Kumar, both Senior Consultants – Urology, Andrology & Robotic Surgery; Dr. Upendra Singh, Head & Senior Consultant – Nephrology; Dr. Vishal Kumar Chorasiya, Group Director – Liver Transplant, HPB, GI & Robotic Surgery; Dr. Arif Ali Khan, Director – Liver Transplant, HPB, GI & Robotic Surgery; Dr. Suvyl Fernandes Rodricks, Associate Director – Liver Transplant Anaesthesia; Dr. Puneet Rana, Head of Department – Neurosurgery; Dr. Pooja Narag, Neurologist; and Dr. Ubaid Hamid, Medical Director. The session was also attended by nursing staff and other hospital operations personnel.
Dr. Sahi delivered a comprehensive presentation covering the following topics:
• Concept and importance of organ donation
• Who can be an organ donor
• Differences between living and deceased donors
• Organ donation during life and after death
• Brain death vs. coma
• Eye donation and the procedures for preserving corneas
• Whole body donation
• Legal framework: Transplantation of Human Organs & Tissues Act, 1994 (THOTA)
• Role of MOHAN Foundation and its 24x7 helpline
• Volunteer training and public engagement programs
• Common myths and facts about organ donation
She shared that India ranks third globally in living organ donations and highlighted a notable gender trend—women are more likely to be living donors, while men dominate in deceased organ donation cases.
Two inspirational donor stories were shared during the session. The first was about Mr. Tejram, an 88-year-old and former trustee of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, who became India’s oldest organ donor after being declared brain dead. His kidneys and liver were successfully donated, setting a remarkable example of generosity at the end of life. The second story was of a newborn baby who lived for just 68.3 hours and became the country’s youngest organ donor. Despite the short life, the donation left a lasting impact and gave hope to others in need.
Dr. Sahi also guided the transplant team on the formation of an in-house competent authority, which can be established after completing more than 25 transplant surgeries. She emphasized the importance of the Required Request clause under THOTA, which mandates hospitals to initiate conversations with the families of the deceased about the possibility of organ donation.
Dr. Sahi encouraged the hospital to initiate corneal donation and outlined key eligibility criteria for eye donation. She emphasized that there should be no history of septicaemia in the deceased. The age of the deceased should be taken into consideration, and it is important that the deceased was not on a ventilator for more than 72 hours prior to death.
At the close of the session, Dr. Sahi was presented with a certificate of appreciation by the nephrology team, while Ms. Santosh was felicitated by the liver transplant team for her contributions.
The session concluded with a powerful message:
"After death, a body is either buried or cremated. In both cases, the organs are lost. Why not choose to save lives through organ donation?"
Close to 50 participants attended the session.
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