Network and Alliance of Transplant Coordinators (NATCO), in association with MOHAN Foundation, under the aegis of Indian Society of Organ Transplantation (ISOT), held its 14 Annual International Conference on October 8-9, 2021. The conference was held virtually and was supported by ZTCC (Zonal Transplant Coordination Committee) Pune and SBI Foundation.

The theme of the conference this year was 'Towards Newer Horizons' to help participants look beyond the pandemic and continue to put all their energies and efforts to augment organ donation and transplantation in India.

The conference covered a wide range of topics under the following broad themes:

1. Organ Donation & Transplantation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2. Paediatric Organ Donation and its Unique Challenges

3. Learning from International Experiences

Around 100 national and international delegates including transplant coordinators, NGO representatives and individuals working towards promoting the cause attended the conference. Speakers, chairpersons and panel members were eminent professionals from the fields of medicine, government departments and academia from all over the world.

The inaugural ceremony on evening October 09, began with an invocation by Mr. Sandeepan Arya of Muskaan. Ms. Arati Gokhale, President of NATCO delivered the welcome address and Ms. Surekha Joshi presented the secretary's report. Dr. A G Huprikar (Secretary, ZTCC Pune), the Chief Guest for the occasion, appreciated the work of NATCO and MOHAN Foundation and expressed his gratitude to the transplant coordinators who keep the deceased donation program going. Dr. Vivek Kute (Secretary, ISOT) and Dr. Sunil Shroff (Managing Trustee – MOHAN Foundation) launched the new website of NATCO, congratulated the organisers and wished the conference success. Dr. Vasanthi Ramesh, Director of NOTTO, chaired a session on Day 2 and appreciated the topics chosen for the conference.

Paper presentations by transplant coordinators (international and domestic) kicked off the conference. Mr. Howard Nathan, President & CEO, Gift of Life Donor Program, USA, delivered the Swamy Naryan Memorial Oration. Mr. Nathan spoke about his journey in the transplantation field – starting out as a transplant coordinator to heading the nation's largest organ procurement organisation, and how the program has evolved in the US.

The following topics were discussed and debated during the conference:

1. Transplant Pregnancy Registry International – an Opportunity for Collaboration between TPRI, ISOT and NATCO

2. Unique Partnerships with Government Departments

3. New NGOs on the Block undertaking work on organ donation

4. Corneal Donation – getting back on track with COVID-19 Pandemic (Guidelines and Protocols)

5. Protocol on Body Donation during COVID-19 Pandemic

6. Challenges of Coordinating Donations during COVID-19 Pandemic – Sharing by Transplant Coordinators

7. Owning the Deceased Organ Donation Program in COVID-19 Pandemic – A Hospital Team perspective

8. From Uncertainty to Newer Horizons – NGO speak

9. Best Practices to Improve Donation Rates – Experience sharing by International Experts

10. Directed Donation – Is the Donor the Owner

11. Challenges of Counseling in Pediatric Donations

12. My Experience with Pediatric Donation – Invited Case Discussion by Transplant Coordinators

13. Caveats in the Psychological Evaluation of Face Transplant Candidates

The Valedictory ceremony on the evening of October 10 began with a prayer rendered by Mrs. Lalitha Raghuram – Country Director of MOHAN Foundation and Former President of NATCO. She welcomed the Chief Guest Ms. Manjula Kalyanasundaram, Managing Director & CEO of SBI Foundation and thanked her for the support. Ms. Kalyanasundaram acknowledged the efforts of the organisers and appreciated the determination and commitment of the transplant coordinators.

Three nominees for the Swamy Narayan Best Transplant Coordinator Award, presented their work from past year and Ms. Prarthana Dwivedi of Indira Gandhi Govt. Medical College Hospital, Nagpur bagged the award. The winners of the free paper presentation were:

1. Dr. Omid Ghobadi from Iran: A successful solution to prevent the decline of the training effect of organ donation teams

2. Dr. Marzieh Latifi: The effect of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on grief symptoms of organ donors' mothers

3. Ms. Sunayana Singh: Radio – The way Forward for Mass Information Dissemination on Organ Donation

Ms. Kalyanasundaram announced the winners and congratulated them. Vice President of NATCO, Ms. Pallavi Kumar thanked everyone, requested the audience to use the website and other resources and work to increase the membership of the organisation. A participant from Pakistan mentioned that the conference would really help countries like her own learn many best practices and benefit from the knowledge sharing. Mr. Sandeepan Arya also highlighted the many new learnings in his feedback.

Dr. Hemal Kanvide (NATCO Member, South Zone) delivered the formal vote of thanks with the recital of a Tagore's poem. The conference came to close with a group picture being clicked and attendees departing with hope of meeting each other soon.

BECOME A NATCO MEMBER TODAY

A well trained and knowledgeable transplant coordinator is vital for a successful organ donation and transplantation programme in any transplant centre. As more and more hospitals take up organ donation and transplantation activities in India, and newer advancements are being made in the field, it is highly essential for the transplant coordinators to constantly develop, upgrade their skills and stay abreast with the changes.

NATCO, through its conferences and workshops, offers huge opportunities for you to upgrade your soft skills as well as technical knowledge in this field. The conferences and workshops are topical, relevant and are uniquely designed to address the demands of this profession in India. They also brings to you achievements and knowledge from all over the world. These conferences enable interactions with some of the senior most transplant experts, both national and international. The meetings serve as an opportunity for building a professional network and camaraderie between the transplant professionals.

Please visit www.natco.org.in to know more and take up membership