Chandigarh:
“Donor families display extraordinary courage when, amid profound grief, they decide to give others the gift of life. Their sacrifice is the foundation of this movement, and we must acknowledge them with the deepest gratitude,” said Prof. Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, Chandigarh, while addressing as Chief Guest at the CONTINUUM – The Continuity of Life as Chief Guest. The CME-cum-training programme was organised by ROTTO North in association with the Department of Hospital Administration at the APC Auditorium, PGIMER, today.
Paying heartfelt tribute to donor families, Prof. Lal highlighted the importance of coordinated teamwork among clinicians, nursing officers and transplant coordinators in advancing transplantation services. Emphasising the need to transform organ donation into a wider societal movement, Director PGIMER said, “We must take this movement beyond hospital walls and engage communities, including villages and panchayats, to build greater awareness and encourage organ donation.”
Prof. Lal further observed that transplant coordinators are indispensable to the donation process and that strong collaboration among healthcare teams has been central to PGIMER’s achievements in transplantation. He called for sustained efforts to strengthen awareness and ensure that the generosity of donor families translates into more lives saved.
Prof. Ashok Kumar, Medical Superintendent, PGIMER, Chandigarh, as Guest of Honour on the occasion emphasised that organ donation must be treated as a collective institutional responsibility rather than the task of any single department. Highlighting the complexities of deceased organ donation, Prof. Ashok Kumar said, “Timely identification of potential donors, brain-stem death certification, seamless interdepartmental coordination and sensitive communication with grieving families are critical to a successful donation pathway. A systematic approach and collective efforts are essential to improve donor conversion and strengthen the donation process.”
Reinforcing the programme’s focus on translating knowledge into action, Dr. Vijay Tadia, Nodal Officer, ROTTO North, said, “Through CONTINUUM, we aim to strengthen the preparedness of resident doctors and nursing officers and translate knowledge into action. We envision monthly training programmes to foster continuous learning and build a sustainable culture of deceased organ donation at PGIMER.”
A key highlight of the programme was the felicitation of the family of Surinder Kaur, a young organ donor, in recognition of their courageous decision to give others the gift of life amid profound personal grief. Their presence served as a poignant reminder that organ donation can transform loss into hope and offer a second chance to patients awaiting transplantation.
Sharing the family’s sentiments, Jaspal Singh, Surinder Kaur’s uncle, said, “Losing a loved one is an irreplaceable loss, but knowing that her organs could help others live has given our grief a deeper meaning. We hope her gift inspires more families to choose organ donation and allows their loved ones’ lives to continue through others.”
Adding a deeply moving cultural dimension, students from the Institute for the Blind presented a special tribute dedicated to organ donation, conveying a powerful message of empathy, humanity and the enduring impact of giving life to others. The performance brought together the spirit of service and the message that the gift of life transcends barriers.
The programme also witnessed the unveiling of a training compendium on organ donation, marking an important step towards structured learning and capacity-building among healthcare professionals.
The event was attended by heads of departments, senior faculty members, resident doctors, nursing officers and other hospital staff, reflecting the multidisciplinary commitment essential to strengthening donor identification, certification, and coordination and transplantation outcomes.
The inaugural session was followed by scientific sessions featuring experts from PGIMER’s clinical and academic departments, covering critical aspects of deceased organ donation and transplantation.
Prof. Rajesh Chhabra, Head, Department of Neurosurgery, spoke on Prognostication and Potential Donor Identification, while Prof. Ashish Sharma, Head, Department of Renal Transplant Surgery, addressed From Donor to Recipient: Evolution, Allocation and Transplantation. Prof. Y.S. Bansal, Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, discussed the Medico-Legal and Ethical Aspects of organ donation, and Prof. Kajal Jain, Head, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, delivered a session on Donor Optimisation.
Dr. Aastha Takkar Kapila, Additional Professor, Department of Neurology, discussed Brain-Stem Death: Diagnosis and Certification, highlighting a crucial component of the deceased organ donation pathway.
The session on Organ Donation and Transplantation in India was delivered by Dr. Vijay Tadia, Nodal Officer, ROTTO North, and Transplant Coordinators Dr. Navdeep Bansal and Dr. Parul Gupta, addressed Hospital Donation Pathway and Workflow and Creating an Enabling Environment for Organ Donation: The Resident’s Role and respectively.
Expressing gratitude on the occasion, Ms. Saryu D. Madra, Consultant (IEC/Media), ROTTO North, PGIMER, said, “Organ donation is not merely a medical process; it is a profound expression of humanity that transforms grief into hope and gives others a second chance at life. Through collective commitment, awareness and compassion, we can ensure that the legacy of every donor continues to live on through the lives they help save.”
The programme was smoothly conducted by Dr. Kamaljeet Deswal and Dr. Parul Gupta who served as Masters of Ceremony, ensuring a seamless flow of proceedings.
The ROTTO North team played a key role in coordinating and facilitating CONTINUUM, bringing together clinical experts, transplant coordinators and frontline healthcare professionals to strengthen knowledge, collaboration and preparedness for deceased organ donation.
