On July 29, 2016, MOHAN Foundation was invited to conduct an awareness session on organ donation for the Cadets at NCC auditorium, DG National Cadets Corps Camp, Delhi Cantt.

 

Earlier in the week Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MF, Delhi-NCR, met Major General J. S. Sandhu, ADG (B), HQ DG (NCC) to discuss the possibility of a structured partnership with them at an all India level to create awareness amongst the youngsters on organ donation. Since the annual training camp was already underway at Delhi Cantt for 1000 cadets (500 boys & 500 girl cadets); being given basic military training, it was suggested by him and readily agreed to, to have the talk. Colonel Anil Pandit OC Camp organized the session.

 

Ms. Pallavi Kumar and Dr. Muneet Kaur Sahi jointly addressed the cadets. Ms. Kumar focused on the basic concepts of organ donation, types of donations, who can donate, cornea donation and myths around organ donation. Dr. Sahi focused on the technical aspects of organ transplantation, brain death versus cardiac death, coma and brain death, contraindications to organ donation.

 

The session was interactive with brain storming on the said topic by the participants and MF representatives. Many queries also came up that prolonged the session way beyond its stipulated time of one hour. To name a few; How is coma different from brain death, can diabetics/hypertensive donate organs, people who wear spectacles can donate corneas, why a brain dead person's heart dies after 2-3 days since a heart requires oxygen to beat and that it is getting from the ventilator.

 

A total of 250 cadets attended the session and 100 donor cards were picked up.