MOHAN Foundation (MF) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), UK on 30th January 2015 in Chennai. The objective is to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing between the two organizations with the aim of increasing the organ donation rate in India and UK. The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr. J. Radhakrishnan, IAS, Principal Secretary,Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu, at the culmination of the Advanced Workshop (2^nd consultative meeting) for senior transplant coordinators organised by MF. The signatories of the MoU were Prof. James Neuberger Associate Medical Director for Organ Donation and Transplantation, NHSBT and Dr. Sunil Shroff, Managing Trustee, MF.

Also present were Dr. Satya Virat Sharma, MBE, Chair, Promoting Organ Donation (POD), UK and Chair of the MoU Steering/ Implementation Group, Dr. N. Sridhar, Former NHSBT Regional Director for Organ Donation, Midlands, UK and presently Senior ICU consultant, Intensive Care Unit, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai, Dr. Samiran Nundy, Emeritus Consultant, Gastroenterology & Liver Transplant, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi and Dr. Christopher Taylor Barry, Liver transplant surgeon and Founder bLifeNY, USA and Advisory Board Member, MF.

MF will work with NHSBT to help improve organ donation rates among Asian, Black and Minority Ethnic communities in the UK. These communities have a higher incidence of diabetes, heart and kidney disease that often result in organ failure and require a lifesaving transplant. There are currently 6,871 people on the transplant list, including 1071 British Asian people. The NHSBT in turn will help MOHAN Foundation with their expertise to help improve organ donation rates in India.

Dr. Sunil Shroff said, “An inspiring example is the work of MOHAN Foundation’s transplant coordinators based at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai. Between February 2010 and December 2014, the families of 160 brain dead patients were counseled about organ donation and 106 families said ‘yes’ – making the choice to donate the organs of their loved ones to perpetuate life rather than having the organs buried or cremated. This is a 66% consent or conversion rate, which is comparable to that in the West.” He added that the collaboration had come about because of the initiative shown by Dr. N. Sridhar.

The MoU was reaffirmed in the UK on the 26th of February 2015 at the House of Lords, London. The event was hosted by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, President of the British Medical Association. The MoU was signed by Mr. Ian Trenholm, Chief Executive of NHSBT and Dr. Sunil Shroff. During the event a first-of-its-kind in the world “Organ Donor Optimisation” mobile app was launched for intensive care units. This app will help new transplant programmes in optimizing potential organ donors who are brain dead and where the relatives have agreed to donate their organs. The app was developed by Dr. N. Sridhar in partnership with MOHAN Foundation and Medindia.net and is available for Android phones and Apple iPhones.