A meet of transplant coordinators was organised, under the auspices of the National Association of Transplant Coordinators, by FORTE, Bangalore, at Manipal Hospital on 23 April 2005. The programme was aimed at bringing together transplant coordinators from different states with a view to helping them share their experiences and to further the movement of cadaver transplantation in the country. There were representatives mainly from the Southern centres.

Dr. Ballal, Director, Dept. of Nephrology & Urology, Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, extended a warm welcome to all the transplant coordinators. He described them as the backbone of the cadaver organ donation and transplantation programme. The Chief Guest, Dr. Nagaraja, Director, NIMHANS, in his inaugural address noted that, with the increasing incidence of organ failure on the one hand and the decreasing availability of human organs on the other, transplant coordinators had a major role to play. The Guest of Honour, Major General K.J. Shetty, Director of Medical Sciences, Manipal Hospital, spoke about the role of hospital administration in facilitating the cadaver transplantation programme.

In his address, Justice K. Jagannath Shetty, Chairman, FORTE, Bangalore, introduced the initiative launched by FORTE regarding the cadaver transplantation programme in Bangalore. This was followed by a discussion on the current status and future of cadaver transplants by Dr. Sunil Shroff, Managing Trustee, MOHAN Foundation, Chennai. He noted that the role of transplant coordinators was crucial to the success of any cadaver transplantation programme as they were the ones who made it all happen. He noted that with the rise in road traffic accidents and brain death and with the spiralling numbers of organ failure patients there is great scope for transplant coordinators to bring the two together and help save lives through counselling for organ donation.

Prof. G.K. Vengatesh, Head, Dept. Of Urology, Bangalore Medical College, spoke about the governments role in promoting the Cadaver Transplantation Programme and also touched upon its role in enabling the process of transplantation group, Global Hospitals, dealt extensively with liver transplantation.

The post-lunch session saw transplant coordinators share their experiences and expertise in handling cadaver donor cases and the related success stories and failures as well as the trials and tribulations they underwent. Mr. Sahayam, transplant coordinator, CMC, Vellore, made it to the meet despite handling a cadaver organ donation the previous night. He touched upon the essential aspects that a coordinator needed to focus on while counselling for organ donation. Mrs. Nusrat, transplant coordinator, Madras Medical Mission, Chennai, Mrs. Deepa, transplant coordinator, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, Mrs. Nalini, MOHAN foundation, Hyderabad, and Mrs. Parvathi Gurjari also shared their views. This was followed the cases that they had handled. A Useful and enriching interaction was the overall view of the coordinators who attended the meet and they resolved to meet twice a year. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for November- December 2005 in Chennai.

A committee was formed under NATCO for coordinating the functioning of NATCO with Ms. Anita Swamy of FORTE, Bangalore, as President and Mr. Srinivasan of MOHAN Foundation, Chennai, As Secretary. The committee members resolved to enlist all the transplant coordinators working across the country in NATCO and maintain a database. It was also decided to form E-groups for transplant coordination.