“Let’s Refine Ourselves” 6th Annual Transplant Coordinators’ Workshop Held.
On 31st August, 2013 and 1st September, 2013 the 6th Annual Transplant Coordinators’ Workshop (ATCW) was held at Hotel Aadithya, Vadapalani, Chennai. The workshop was organised by MOHAN (Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network) Foundation in association with National Association of Transplant Coordinators’ (NATCO). The other supportive Government organisations were Cadaver Transplant Programme, Tamil Nadu and Kerala Network of Organ Sharing (KNOS), Kerala. It was funded by Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust.
The theme of this year’s workshop was ‘Let’s Refine Ourselves’. The theme was in concordance with the workshop’s aim of providing a platform for transplant coordinators’ across the Nation to come together, to share their successes and challenges faced in their experience. It also had a series of experts’ talk about topics related to the field which provided an opportunity to update their knowledge.
The workshop had outlined three objectives:
- To bring out the National and International perspectives on deceased organ donation
- To enhance oneself professionally and personally
- To give an advocacy platform to the transplant coordinators through NATCO
Around 93 delegates comprising of nurses, transplant coordinators, medical social workers, and paramedics attended the workshop. In addition 6 delegates came from Sri Lanka. The workshop brought delegates and faculty from across the country and abroad to learn and deliberate about various complex issues in the field of organ donation and transplantation.
The workshop began by the dignitaries lighting a five-faced kuthu vilakku (oil lamp). The dignitaries who were present for the inaugural session were: Dr. T. K. Parthasarathy, Pro-Chancellor and Emeritus Professor of Surgery, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai; Dr. Sunil Shroff, Managing Trustee, MOHAN Foundation; Professor P.K. Abdul Rahiman, Head of Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed (JBAS) Centre for Islamic Studies, University of Madras; Dr. Ashok Kirpalani L, Nephrologist, Mumbai and President, Indian Society of Organ Transplantation (ISOT); and Dr. Edward Cole, Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto. Professor Rahiman was the Chief Guest for the event. This was followed by a short narration by family members of three deceased organ donors and from an organ recipient.
The Swamy Narayan Memorial Lecture was delivered by Professor Rahiman. He presented his paper on ‘Islam and Organ Donation’.
On day two of the workshop the first session was on: Deceased organ donation - South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) perspective. The panellists were: Dr. Harun ur Rashid, Chief Consultant, Kidney Foundation Hospital and Research Institute (KFHRI), Bangladesh and Dr. Rezvi Sheriff, Senior Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo.
Another session that needs to be highlighted is that of Dr. Sridhar Reddy, Consultant, University Hospital North Staffordshire, United Kingdom who connected through Skype and spoke to the audience about the process of coordination in donation after cardiac death.
There were lectures delivered by eminent faculty members on topics that ranged from Grief Counseling and Dealing with Compassion Fatigue; THO Act and Amendments – Ground Realities; Medico-legal cases; Spreading Awareness; Challenges in the coordination of live organ donations and transplantation; and Transplant Registry: Initiation and Maintenance. There was also an interactive session on the challenges faced by Transplant Coordinators.
The Swamy Narayan Best Transplant Coordinator Award for 2013 was given to Ms. Bhavana Shah of Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai and Mrs. A. Sarala of BGS Global Hospital, Bengaluru. Mr. Sagayam Francis, Senior Transplant Coordinator, MIOT Hospitals, Chennai was honoured with a Special Recognition Award for his dedication to the cause of deceased organ donation.
The workshop also had a few delegates’ present papers and posters on topics related to the issue.
The two best papers that won an award were:
- ‘Impact of Times of India campaign on Organ Donation Helpline’ - by Ms. Kavitha. S, Transplant Coordinator, MOHAN Foundation, Chennai and
- ‘Print Media and Deceased Organ Donation’ - by Mr. Ananth R, Transplant Coordinator, MOHAN Foundation, Chennai.
The two best posters that won an award were:
- ‘Debunking the Myths about Organ Donation’ - by Ms. Josheela Sheeba Kalyani, Trainee Transplant Coordinator, MOHAN Foundation, Chennai and
- ‘Survey on the Knowledge and Attitude on Organ Donation among the General Public’ - by Mr. I. Augustin Joe, Trainee Transplant Coordinator, MOHAN Foundation, Chennai.
