This was an exciting quarter at the MOHAN Foundation with a training program every month and close to 100 Transplant Coordinators accessed.
In the month of December, MOHAN Foundation collaborated with ZTCC (Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre, Mumbai) to conduct its 17th One Week Transplant Coordinators’ Training Programme from 8-12 December, 2014 at KEM Hospital, Mumbai. The ZTTC is a registered body formed by the Appropriate Authority by a government resolution in the year 2001. It consists of CEO of all the recognized hospitals, NGOs, Experts in the transplant surgery of various organs, prominent citizens of the city.
There were 34 participants from various parts of the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. 
It was extremely heartening to see the participation of the parents of a young heart transplant recipient, Hvovi. As a unique gesture in support for the cause, they enrolled in the training to learn in detail about the nuances of transplant coordination and helping families of the deceased during the process of organ donation. Amidst Indian conditions where the government strictly restricts recipient and donor families from interacting with each other, the couple felt this was the best way to express their gratitude to the donor who saved their daughter’s life.

Figure 1 : Armaity & Capt. Aspy Minocherhomji with their daughter Hvovi before her transplant

They said-
“The most emotionally draining part of the whole experience was the wait for word from the hospital regarding availability of a suitable heart. As each day dawned, we were filled with hope that today would be the day we would receive the news we so eagerly awaited. As each day drew to an end without that much awaited phone call from the hospital, we were filled with despair. Would it be too late for her by the time a heart became available?”
Likewise, a kidney transplant recipient who was looking forward to taking up the role of a transplant coordinator also participated in the training. 
The quarter turned out to mark many such firsts for MOHAN Foundation as we trained 18 participants for the first time in the state of Odisha at the 18th One Week Transplant Coordinators’ Training Programme held at the Department of Nephrology, Urology and Renal Transplant Unit, SCB Medical College & Hospital, Cuttack from February 16 -20, 2015. Odisha has been gradually emerging as a pro organ donation state gaining from the example of the adjacent southern states. The legal, socio-cultural, ethical aspects of organ donation and transplantation, logistics, transplant registry were covered as well as detailed sessions on counseling donor families were conducted in this workshop. 
Using the programme as an ideal opportunity, a CME (Continuing Medical Education) on brain death and deceased organ donation was held for the Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISSCM), Bhubaneswar chapter on the evening of February 16, 2015 where MOHAN Foundation Faculty was invited. 
On January 30, 2015 senior transplant coordinators met in Chennai for a consultative meeting.  Of the 47 participants, 30 were transplant coordinators with experiences ranging from 3 years to 15 years. This is the second such national meeting that has been held to address the learning needs and challenges faced by senior transplant coordinators in the country. The meeting also served as an opportunity to felicitate significant contributions made by Transplant Coordinators.

Figure 2: Mr Sagayam Francis being felicitated not just for coordinating more than 270 donations but also reaching out to other coordinators and mentoring them

Figure 3: Ms. Jasly James being felicitated for coordinating the first deceased donation in PMSSY Hospital, Bengaluru - January 2015. She underwent training in the previous quarter

On the same day, 2015 MOHAN Foundation signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), UK. The objective of this understanding will be to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing between the two organizations with the aim of increasing the organ donation rate in India and the United Kingdom (UK). The educational material shared by the NHSBT in the past has been used regularly during the transplant coordinators’ training workshops till date and this collaboration gives us the access to more such material. The MoU was reaffirmed in UK on the February 26, 2015 in London at the House of Lords. 

Figure 4: Prof James Neuberger (Associate Medical Director, NHSBT) and Dr Sunil Shroff (Managing Trustee, MOHAN Foundation) signing the MOU
MOHAN Foundation had begun its work in the state of Rajasthan early last year, conducting training programs and sensitizing the medical fraternity. We witnessed another historic moment as the first deceased donation took place in the city of Jaipur took place. A 6 year old, little boy from the rural area got a head injury and was undergoing treatment in Mahatama Gandhi Hospital, Jaipur. The transplant coordinator trained by MOHAN Foundation who counseled the parents of the child said it was the toughest challenge he had to face. Nevertheless the couple agreed to donate and the child’s kidneys and liver helped save three lives. This comes as an affirmation to MOHAN Foundations presence in Jaipur in the previous months.
Though this turned out to be a very eventful quarter we are still working hard towards training as many people possible. Health is a state subject in India; newer states are now showing interest and therefore will require training and hand holding. The steady support of our contributors at Global Giving has proved as a constant motivation in this endeavor. We are grateful for the same and hope that we are continued to be supported in the days to come.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/first-brain-death-reported-in-govtrun-victoria-hospital/article6792517.ece
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/uk-to-increase-organ-donation-rate-in-india-uk-115013100304_1.html
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/mohan-foundation-to-help-train-transplant-coordinators/article6841051.ece
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Pact-to-better-Asian-organ-donation-in-UK/articleshow/46073421.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/MOHAN-Foundation-signs-MoU-with-UK-based-NHS-to-improve-organ-donation-rate/articleshow/46071391.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Alwar-villagers-pay-tribute-to-donor-boy/articleshow/46317744.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Villagers-take-the-lead-for-organ-donation-in-Alwar/articleshow/46256612.cms