On April 18, 2023, MOHAN Foundation, NCR, organized a close group discussion on the role of police in the organ donation process in medico-legal cases (MLC) at Sector 17-18 police station, Gurugram. Earlier on October 22, 2023, an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) from this police station had attended the training workshop, conducted by the Foundation at the DCP Headquarters in Gurugram for police personnel from 30 police stations under Gurugram Commissionerate. Ms. Simran Anand, Program Officer, MOHAN Foundation, NCR, made follow-up calls to all the police stations to organize sessions at their respective local police stations after the training. As a result of the follow-up, the Sector 17-18 police station organized the close group discussion under Mr. Haresh Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO).

 

Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MF, NCR, was the resource person. She was accompanied by Ms. Simran Anand.

 

The discussion began with an introduction of MOHAN Foundation. Ms. Pallavi Kumar explained the concept of organ donation and transplantation and covered the following points:

 

• Concept and types of organ donation - living and deceased donation

• Laws & rules governing death in India

• Difference between circulatory and brain death

• Organ donation process in MLC

• Role of police in deceased organ donation

• Duties of the investigating officer in an MLC.

• Forms for receiving family consent for organ donation

• Organ retrieval process

 

During the discussion the participants were very interactive and asked many questions. To name a few:

• What if a person died on the spot in an accident?

• Who can donate corneas?

• What is the role of an Investigative Officer (IO) during the investigation?

• What does Form I say?

• Does an IO need to verify all the forms during the investigation?

• What stops a person from donating organs?

 

Close to 10 Assistant sub inspectors including the SHO participated in the discussion.