How to be a transplant co-ordinator

MOHAN Foundation (Multi Organ Harves-ting Aid Network) in Chennai, which has been promoting organ transplant-ation for several years now, has launched training programmes in transplant co-ordination and grief counselling. The programmes are supported by the Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust.

The programmes can be taken up by graduates in medicine, nursing, science, social work, medical psychology and sociology.

The foundation also accepts candidates sponsored by hospitals and organ procuring organisations. Interested candidates with graduation in other fields can also apply, if they possess good communi-cations skills and a serious interest in organ transplantation.

Candidates taking up the programme will be taught to counsel families of brain-dead persons and encourage organ donation. They  will be taught to co-ordinate the entire organ transplantation process besides facilitating organ donation and retrieval.
Post training, they  will be able to set up an organ transplantation programme in their city or hospital.

The Indian Government has introduced an amendment in the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, which makes it mandatory for hospitals wishing to be registered as transplant hospitals to nominate a transplant co-ordi-nator. So, certified transplant co-ordinators are sure to be in demand.

The course duration is flexible and varies between one week, one month, three months and six months. Workshops are also conducted periodically.  The courses are conducted through the year, and include theory, discussions, simulation practice and mentoring at hospitals.

Faculty for the course include senior nephrologists, ophthal-mologists, forensic medicine experts, cardio-thoracic surgeons, and liver transplant surgeons from leading hospitals like Madras Medical Mission, Sundaram Foundation, and so on, besides organ transplant-ation professionals like the convenor of the Cadaver Transplant Programme, Government General Hospital, Chennai.

Students have the option of taking up the course in Chennai, Hyderabad or Visakhapatnam.  Those who require assistance in finding a hostel or other accommodation may contact the course secretary.

The foundation charges Rs 1,000 for its two-day workshops, and Rs 3,000 for the month-long programmes. Since some of the funds for organising these programmes come  from the Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust, the course fee is subsidised.

To download the application forms, log on to www. courses.mohanfoundation.org or call: [phone] (Chennai); [phone] (Hyderabad); [phone] (Visakhapatnam).