MOHAN Foundation conducted a webinar on September 14, 2023 in collaboration with ISN-TTS Sister Transplant Centres Partnership India-UK. Ms. Stefania Meregalli, Specialist Nurse South East team, (National Health Services) NHS, was invited as a guest speaker for the webinar.
The webinar was initiated by Professor Debasish Banerjee (Consultant Nephrologist and Clinical Lead, St George's University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK) and Dr Arpita Ray Chaudhury (Nephrologist, IPGME&R And SSKM Hospital, Kolkata). Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MF Delhi NCR, moderated the webinar.
Ms. Pallavi welcomed Ms. Stefania and gave the participants an introduction about her. Ms. Stefania addressed the participants on the role of specialist nurses in organ donation in UK, the DCD & BSD process of organ donation and how families are approached for organ donation.
She spoke about the processes followed in UK in the case of DCD (Donation after Circulatory Death) and DBD (Donation after Brain Death) and how to identify a suitable donor. She then discussed the National Institute of Health & Care Excellence (NICE) Guideline (CG 135) which covers identifying people who wish to donate their organs after their death and offers advice on how to approach families and carers of people who are nearing the end of life and how to seek consent for organ donation. She emphasised that "each family is an individual so no assumptions should be made on the basis of ethnicity, culture, or religion."
She went on to address the role of specialized nurses in approaching families, confirming understanding and acceptance of loss and discussing organ donation. A multidisciplinary team (MDT) should be responsible for planning the approach and discussing organ donation with those close to the patient. Organ donation law in England (has changed to an opt-out system) – the same was explained in detail by Ms. Stefania.
The session was very interactive. Participants asked many questions, such as:
• Is every patient with GCS 3 declared brain dead?
• Is a family approached for organ donation after a brain death declaration? If the family denied it, the treatment continue or stop?
• If the family denies organ donation is there any time limit for the family to rethink?
• What is the full form of OSA and WLST?
Close to 55 transplant coordinators from across the country attended the webinar.
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