On 13th August 2014 an awareness talk on organ donation was organised at Government College of Engineering, Barton hill, Trivandrum. The college was established in the month of November 1999 on the land donated by His Highness Sri.Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the last ruling Maharaja of the princely State of Travancore. The talk was organised by the 3^rd year Mechanical Engineering students in collaboration with KNOS and MOHAN Foundation.

 

Ms. Saranya S, Transplant Coordinator, MOHAN Foundation deputed at Trivandrum Medical College, represented KNOS and addressed the gathering. Ms. Saranya explained about the Need for a robust deceased organ transplantation programme in India, Types of donation, difference between Cardiac death and brain death, Age criteria of the donor, procedure involves in Brain death certification, organs which can be donated after brain death and cardiac death, and the Importance of Transplantation of Human Organ Act 1994. This was followed by a live display of KNOS website and registration process of KNOS was explained and also explained on the guidelines which are used for organ allocation throughout Kerala.

 

At the end of the presentation a short movie on Brain Stem Death by MOHAN Foundation and footage covered by Mathrubhumi News on cadaver donation was shown to the audience. Around 70 students participated in the programme. Session was concluded by distributing donor cards to the participants and giving them the Helpline Number for organ donation.

 

It was a vibrant crowd and they had many queries pertaining to organ donation such as:

• Is Organ allocation done authentically?
• Why can’t India follow presumed consent policy for organ donation?
• How to register in KNOS registry for organs?

At the end the session  concluded with a vote of thanks of Mr. Midhun.