Streamlining Organ Donation by Sharing Experience: Memorandum of Understanding Between NHS Blood and Transplant and the MOHAN Foundation

Representatives from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and the MOHAN Foundation, a not-for-profit organ donation charity based in India, will meet at the House of Lords today to sign an important Memorandum of Understanding, agreeing to work together to learn from each other’s experiences. NHS Blood and Transplant is the organ donor organisation for the UK, and will agree to share their expertise in increasing the number of organ donors, matching and allocating donated organs and auditing, analysing and publishing both organ donation and outcomes after transplantation. In return the MOHAN Foundation will show how NHSBT can better communicate and engage with Black Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in the UK.

In general, British Asian people are more likely to need an organ transplant than the rest of the UK population because they are more susceptible to illnesses such as diabetes, kidney disease, some viral infections and heart disease, which may result in organ failure and the need for a lifesaving transplant. There are currently 6,871 people on the transplant list, including 1071 British Asian people.

Ian Trenholm, Chief Executive of NHS Blood and Transplant said: “We were honoured to be approached by the MOHAN Foundation and delighted to share our experience and expertise with them to help to achieve their goals to increase Organ Donation and Transplantation activity in India.

“In the UK, sadly, families from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups are less likely to agree to organ donation going ahead. All organs are matched by blood group and some also by tissue type so patients from the same ethnic group are more likely to be a close match, patients from these communities often wait longer for a transplant.

“We hope to learn from the MOHAN Foundation about how we can raise awareness of organ donation among the British Asian community and make sure all patients get the transplant operations they need.”

Dr. Sunil Shroff, Managing Trustee, MOHAN Foundation said, “Improving the donation rate in both the countries is the objective of this partnership. The need for organ donors, especially Asian minority community in the UK, has never been greater. The skills of Indian grief counsellors could help the UK to improve their donation rate in this community. This is likely to herald a new chapter in this field in both the countries,” Dr. Shroff said. 

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The event at the House of Lords at which the Memorandum of Understanding will be signed will be hosted by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, President of the British Medical Association. The Memorandum of Understanding will be signed by Ian Trenholm, Chief Executive of NHSBT and Sunil Shroff, Trustee of the MOHAN Foundation.

About MOHAN Foundation

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MOHAN Foundation, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that was started in 1997 by like-minded doctors and non-medical professionals to promote organ donation in India. Its expertise in creating awareness, training of transplant coordinators and networking with other  similar Non-Government and government organisations has resulted in over 900 multi-donations in India in the last three years and has provided hope to many with organ failure awaiting a transplant surgery. It is a registered NGO and has offices in Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Nagpur and Bengaluru and Information Centres in Coimbatore, Vijayawada, Jaipur and USA.



Source-Medindia