On December 2, 2014 Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MOHAN Foundation was invited as a guest speaker at the Organ Transplant Stakeholders’ Conference- Challenges & the Way Forward at Delhi Secretariat Auditorium, I. P. estate, Delhi.
The Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, organized the conference, a first of its kind that enabled all the organ transplant stakeholders to come together and lay out a road map for development of deceased organ donation in Delhi. Medical professionals, from Government and corporate hospitals, policy planners, police officers and NGO’s working in the field of organ donation attended the conference.
Chief Guest Mr. Najeeb Jung, Lt Governor of Delhi inaugurated the conference and Dr. M. C. Mishra (Director, AIIMS) and Mr. D. M. Spolia (Chief Secretary, Delhi) were the guests of honour. Mr. Jung released a reference book titled,’ Compendium on Organ Transplant,’ and also launched the e-reporting portal of organ transplant on the Delhi Government’s website (delhi.gov.in).
Mr Jung in his speech stressed on the importance and need of a school curriculum advocating the need for caring and sharing (both during life and after death) so as to mobilize the youth of our country at the grass root level to make them agents of change. He quoted Ghalib “maut ka ek din muayyan hain...toh phir raat bhar neend kyu nahi aati” to elaborate the fact that death is inevitable and yet we spend sleepless nights over it. He also stressed that contrary to normal opinion, myths are nothing but lack of moral conviction.
Some of the senior and renowned medical professionals from Delhi-NCR hospitals who attended the conference were Dr. Samiran Nundy (Emeritus Consultant, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital), Dr. Anil Kumar (Director-NOTTO), Dr. A. V. Soin (Medanta- The Medicity), Dr. Balram Airon (AIIMS), Dr. Harsh Jauhari (Chairman Renal transplant Surgery, SGRH) Dr. Arti Vij (ORBO) and Dr. Avnish Seth (Director, FORT).
There were many presentations and discussion by various members of medical and non-medical fraternity and they all were unanimous in their view that brain death declaration should be made mandatory. Government’s proactive role to put in place systems & protocols and the much-needed infrastructure was also stressed upon for the success of this program.
Ms. Pallavi spoke on “starting a cadaver donation program in hospitals.” She said that for the program to be successful it should be owned by the hospital and backed by the top management of the hospital. She also stressed on the role of Transplant Coordinator who would solely be dedicated for the program.
Dr. Anil Aggarwal (Head, Delhi Organ Transplant Cell, HOD, GI Surgery, GB Pant Hospital) gave the vote of thanks.
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