ORGAN (Organ Receiving & Giving Awareness Network) India recently organized its Fourth Collaborative Conclave for Organ Donation, where speakers expressed concern over the dismal state of organ donors, which is comparatively too small, given the size of India’s population.

The speakers at the conclave discussed the way forward to encourage organ donation in India and suggested innovative concepts for spreading awareness on organ donation through effective utilization of various social media tools for mass outreach.

According to Anika Parashar, co-founder, ORGAN India and Chairperson, Parashar Foundation, “This collaborative conclave will go a long way to help spread awareness across the country about the importance of organ donation. Our collective aim is to educate people about the life-saving effects of being an organ donor. We have been mandated by the Delhi government to educate all schools. We have started the country’s first transplant directory as well.”

The conclave was attended by around 70 participants, including from the government such as top officials from the Ministry of Health.

Sunayana Singh, CEO and co-founder of ORGAN India said, “Bringing organizations working for organ donation on one platform rather than working individually has always been one of our goals. The conclave was a resounding success as the participants discussed ways to collaborate as one entity to further the cause for encouraging organ donation. The latest in the space is that we are all going to get together and send athletes to the World Transplant Games.”

The day-long conclave was inaugurated by Dr. Vasanthi Ramesh, Director of NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Dr. KR Balakrishnan, one of India’s most successful heart transplant surgeons delivered the first Kirti Parashar Oration and talked about the present state of organ donation and cardiac transplants in India. “One of the biggest challenges is that the heart has to be transplanted within 4 hours of retrieval from the donor. Most of this time is consumed in transport of the organ. We are trying to develop newer technologies so that the heart can survive for longer than 4 hours which will benefit more and more patients,” said Dr. Balakrishnan.

Dr. Harsha Jauhari, technical advisor, NOTP, DGHS, MoHFW, Government of India, enlightened the audience on the ethics and law in organ donation.

“Every year while we are debating, millions are dying. We don’t want that. We can make a change for which people have to come together,” emphasized Dr. Jauhari.

Dr. Devansh Vaish, manager, strategy & fundraising, ORGAN India said, “The conclave brought together government representatives, organisations and individuals working for organ donation, on one platform to discuss innovative concepts to spread awareness. Ways to raise funds for public education and funding transplants for those who cannot afford it were also discussed.”́

ORGAN India is an initiative that was launched in March 2013 by Delhi-based NGO Parashar Foundation to address the dismal state of deceased organ donation in India.