Arnav Gupta

On February 17, 2018, the iconic Qutab Minar was bathed in green to highlight the cause of organ donation during the annual event by MOHAN Foundation titled ‘Samarthan 2018,’ held at the terrace of Qla at Mehrauli, New Delhi. Qla is part of the Kila complex, an old Musafirkhana which has been painstakingly restored. The Qutab Minar provides a magical backdrop to the terrace of this award-winning boutique restaurant.

The Qutab Minar was lit in green because the green ribbon symbolises hope for those who are waiting for a second chance at life through transplantation. It reminds us of the men, women and children who have died waiting for a life-saving transplant. Most importantly, it conveys our gratitude to Organ Donors and their families for giving the greatest gift of all, the gift of life.

The annual Samarthan event is an attempt by the Foundation to bring together all the policy makers, public & private hospitals and NGO’s working in the field of organ donation to raise awareness on the need for coordinated efforts of all, given the fact that India has an abysmal organ donation rate of 0.8 per million population, ranking amongst the lowest in the world.

The event featured the renowned stand-up comedian Jeeveshu Ahluwalia whose humour style is derived from observational everyday conversations, quirky monologues, peculiar situations and some eccentric friends.

The event saw the participation of senior surgeons and other medical professionals from all the major hospitals in NCR as well as friends and supporters of the Foundation. It was also attended by representatives from NOTTO, National level organisation set up under DGHS, MoHFW, Govt. of India.

At the event, the Foundation showcased an exhibition titled “Life before Ashes” featuring human organ installations made from a mix of real human ashes and mud. The underlying message was simple but powerful – ‘What have become ashes could have been another human’s heart or kidney. If only the organs were donated.’

Also featured was an exhibition titled “Nafas” that had traveled all the way from Iran. Nafas (meaning “breath” in Persian) was the first Nafas visual arts festival on the topic of Organ Donation held by Iranian Society of Organ Donation with Iranian Artists’ Forum. Selected artworks from over 2700 of the original exhibition were on display.

The Foundation also released a film on “Counseling potential donor families” at the event. It is a film made by MOHAN Foundation(adapted from a film by NHS Blood and Transplant, UK) on how the treating physician along with the Transplant Coordinator can approach a family to request for organ donation.

Source-Dr. Muneet Kaur Sahi