The Indian Women Network (IWN), an initiative of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in an effort to create on-going awareness on organ donation and help create an ecosystem conducive to increasing deceased organ donations in the country, organised a panel discussion with eminent experts on September 24, 2019 at the Chinmaya Mission Auditorium, Lodi Road, New Delhi. This would be the first of a series of such initiatives.

The panel consisted of Dr. Arvinder Singh Soin (Chairman & Chief Transplant Surgeon, Medanta Liver Institute, Medanta – The Medicity), Prof. Anupam Sibal (Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Group), Ms. Pallavi Kumar (Executive Director MOHAN Foundation), a transplant recipient and a family member of a donor. The panel also had Mr Rahul Bose – an actor, director and activist. The discussion was moderated by Ms. Sonia Singh Editorial Director & President, NDTV Ethics Committee.

It was a lively discussion that covered various aspects of organ donation and transplantation like when can a person donate, who can donate, brain stem death versus circulatory death, organ/tissue donation, why southern states of India are doing better than northern states in deceased organ donation programme, what are the factors that influences a person's decision to donate, what is the process of pledging, living donation versus deceased donation, Transplant Law and many myths that abound organ donation with their corresponding reality check.

A transplant recipient and a donor family member described their experience which gave a completely different perspective to the discussion. The transplant recipient expressed gratitude and indebtedness towards the donor and their family, whereas donor family member shared that the whole experience was more about finding a decision that would fit with their loved one as a person, a desire to honour their loved one and ensure that they are remembered as a person.

Post discussion, queries were taken from the audience.

At the end, Ms. Pallavi Kumar was felicitated by the CII IWN & CII-Yi(Young Indians) representatives and Mr. Rahul Bose signed the donor card, thus setting an example for the participants to come forward and sign up for organ donation.

Close to 125 participants attended the event and 200 donor cards were picked up.