Chandigarh, October 22:- PGIMER, Chandigarh, organised a CME-cum-training programme titled ‘Continuum – The Continuity of Life’ to strengthen awareness, preparedness and coordination in deceased organ donation and transplantation.
Organised by ROTTO North in collaboration with the Department of Hospital Administration at the APC Auditorium, the programme was attended by Prof. Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, as the chief guest.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Lal said that donor families demonstrate extraordinary courage by choosing to donate organs amid profound personal grief. He described them as the foundation of the organ donation movement and emphasised the need to take awareness beyond hospital walls to villages, panchayats and communities.
Prof. Ashok Kumar, Medical Superintendent, PGIMER, said that organ donation is a collective institutional responsibility requiring timely identification of potential donors, brain-stem death certification, interdepartmental coordination and sensitive communication with bereaved families.
A major highlight of the programme was the felicitation of the family of young organ donor Surinder Kaur. Her uncle, Jaspal Singh, said that knowing her organs had helped others live gave profound meaning to their grief. He urged more families to embrace organ donation.
Students from the Institute for the Blind presented a special tribute highlighting the messages of humanity, compassion and the gift of life and sight. A training compilation on organ donation was also unveiled during the programme.
Dr. Vijay Tadiya, Nodal Officer, ROTTO North, said that monthly training programmes had been envisaged to strengthen the preparedness of resident doctors and nursing officers and build a sustainable culture of deceased organ donation at PGIMER.
Scientific sessions were conducted by experts from various PGIMER departments, covering potential donor identification, brain-stem death diagnosis and certification, donor optimisation, medico-legal and ethical aspects, organ allocation and transplantation.
The programme was attended by heads of departments, senior faculty members, resident doctors, nursing officers and other healthcare professionals.
Ms. Saryu D. Madra, Consultant (IEC/Media), ROTTO North, emphasised that organ donation transforms grief into hope and gives patients awaiting transplants a second chance at life.
