On May 15, 2023, the MOHAN Foundation (MF) conducted a session on organ donation for the bus drivers and conductors of DTC at DTC Training School, Nand Nagri Depot, Delhi. These drivers and conductors were undergoing training there. In April 2023, Ms. Simran Anand, Programme Officer, MOHAN Foundation, had a conversation on the phone with Mr. Balraj Singh, Dy. CGM, Training, Training School, Nand Nagri Depot, to discuss the possibility of conducting a session on organ donation for their trainees. She also introduced the Foundation and its objectives and mission. Mr. Balraj requested that Ms. Simran write a letter to him. Ms. Simran then posted a request letter for conducting the session, which was approved and sent to DTC Headquarters to prepare a schedule of organ donation sessions for the month of May 2023.

 

The DTC Headquarters, with a mutually convenient date and time, scheduled five sessions for different batches in May 2023. The HQ disseminated the schedule to the MF and DTC Training School.

 

Dr Muneet Kaur Sahi, Programme Manager, MF Delhi office, was the resource person for the first session. She was accompanied by Ms. Simran.

 

Dr Muneet started the session by showing the participants a short movie about heart donation. Then she asked the participants what they knew about organ donation. Participants in the group engaged in a highly interactive discussion about the topic. She explained the concept of organ donation with the help of a PowerPoint presentation. The following topics were explained in detail: 

• The importance of organ donation in society
• When and how does organ donation take place?
• Organs that can be donated during life and after death
• Transplant waiting list in India
• Brain death
• difference between brain death and coma
• Role of police in deceased organ donation
• Role of the MOHAN Foundation
• Myths and facts about organ donation
• Eye donation
• How to pledge for organ donation
• Green corridor

 

Dr Muneet also spoke about the option to pledge to organ donation on driving license application forms, and a participant then displayed his DL, showing that he had selected ‘yes’ to the question. Another participant talked about his experience of the green corridor. He had previously worked as an ambulance driver at the GTB Hospital in Delhi, where he had delivered an organ in under 17 minutes to the AIIMS Hospital in Delhi.

 

Throughout the session, the participants frequently posed questions. To name a few. 

• What is the difference between coma and brain death?
• What is the time frame for transplanting organs?
• What is the procedure for pledging for organ donation?

 

Close to 65 participants attended the session.