Building on the success of its public-private partnership model in Manipur, MOHAN Foundation expanded its work to Tripura last year and, in 2026, initiated a new programme in Nagaland with support from the Azim Premji Foundation.

Nagaland currently has no organ transplant programme and no eye bank, making it one of the few states in India without access to these essential services. Recognising this critical gap, MOHAN Foundation has begun working closely with the Government of Nagaland to lay the foundation for a sustainable organ and tissue donation and transplantation programme.

Following a series of meetings with the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Nagaland, under the leadership of Mr. Anoop Khinchi, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, and Dr. Mereninla Senlem, Principal Director, Department of Health & Family Welfare, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to implement interventions in the field of organ and tissue donation across the state. The programme will be implemented in close coordination with the Department of Health & Family Welfare and its affiliated institutions.

The primary focus of the initiative is the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK), the state's premier government hospital. A separate MoU has also been signed with NHAK to support the development of a comprehensive transplantation programme. The partnership aims to facilitate the procurement of a renal transplant licence, strengthen systems for both living and deceased donor transplantation, build the capacity of healthcare professionals, create awareness within the hospital and the community, and establish linkages with the appropriate government and regulatory authorities. Together with key stakeholders, a phased roadmap has been developed to guide the implementation of these activities.

The initiative began with public awareness programmes on organ donation and transplantation, a Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) study to understand community perceptions and guide future communication strategies, and groundwork for establishing the state's first eye bank. Simultaneously, efforts are underway to support NHAK in securing its renal transplant licence, a milestone that will pave the way for transplant services to become available within the state for the first time.

Each successive initiative in Northeast India demonstrates that sustained government partnerships, strategic capacity building, and community engagement can bridge longstanding gaps in transplant care. The Nagaland initiative represents another significant step towards ensuring that patients no longer have to travel thousands of kilometres in search of life-saving transplant services.

A Second Chance at Life: Mr Mhiesirovi Sophi's Kidney Transplant Journey

“I am grateful to my brother for donating his kidney and giving me a second chance at life. Today, I am healthy and able to support myself through my business. Having experienced the challenges of seeking transplant care outside the state, I hope that Nagaland will one day have its own organ transplant centre and related services, making treatment and long-term follow-up care more accessible for patients and families. Organ donation is truly the gift of life, and I encourage more people to learn about its life-saving impact.”

Diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2019, Mr Mhiesirovi Sophi, a 30-year-old from Kohima, Nagaland, underwent haemodialysis before receiving a life-saving kidney transplant in 2020 at Shija Hospital, Manipur, after his brother selflessly donated one of his kidneys.

Today, he enjoys good health, runs his own small business, and continues to advocate for organ donation. His journey highlights not only the life-changing impact of living donation but also the need to strengthen transplant services within Nagaland so that patients can access life-saving care closer to home.