Why eye donation can significantly reduce burden of corneal blindness

As many as 17675 visually impaired persons across seven states and 30 cities have regained eyesight through eye donation over the past 24 years driven by awareness efforts of the Eye Bank Society of Rajasthan officials said on SundayDespite the lifechanging impact of eye donation people are still not coming forward in adequate numbers due to prevailing myths and lack of awareness the NGO saidAccording to data shared by the society a total of 27307 corneas have been collected since its establishment in 2002 enabling free transplants for thousands of beneficiariesSociety president B L Sharma said lakhs of people are waiting for corneal transplants and this gap can only be reduced if awareness increases and more people pledge to donate eyesHe said several myths discourage people including beliefs that the body should not be touched after death eye donation affects appearance or that full eyes are removed for transplantationIf more people come forward for eye donation the burden of corneal blindness in Rajasthan can be significantly reduced he said adding that social awareness at the family and community level is crucialSociety manager Priyanka Swami said corneas collected in Rajasthan are also being sent to 30 cities across states including Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Punjab Delhi Uttarakhand and HaryanaShe said over three lakh people in Rajasthan suffer from corneal blindness but misconceptions often prevent families from opting for eye donationShe said the organisation conducts awareness drives through camps and help desks at hospitals temples colleges and offices It currently operates 14 centres across 16 districts and facilitates about 91 per cent of corneal transplants in the stateCorneas are brought to Jaipur processed for transplantation and distributed to government and private hospitals They can be preserved for up to 15 days in special solutions after which unused corneas are utilised for medical researchBeneficiaries and donor families also highlighted the impact of eye donation A recipient Gaurav Thapa said he regained vision ahead of his wedding after receiving a donated cornea while a donors family member Sunil Bairwa said it was a matter of pride that their loved one continues to see the world through someone elses eyesVikas Saini began losing his vision after being hit in the eye by a cricket ball He said he had always dreamed of becoming a doctor but after the injury he was stressed about whether he would ever be able to achieve his goalAfter the operation when I could see again it was the greatest happiness of my life Now I will definitely fulfil my dream he saidOnce helpless due to blindness Pawan Sharma is now happy after undergoing a corneal transplant and is grateful to the eye donor He said regaining his vision has brought new enthusiasm and hope into his lifeBobby who developed corneal problems soon after her marriage had become dependent on others even for small tasks which made life difficultAfter the operation I got a new life I cannot express my happiness in words she saidDoctors said corneas should ideally be retrieved within six to eight hours of death and reach an eye bank within 24 hours while noting that donation is not possible in certain medical conditionsThey emphasised that greater public participation in eye donation can help restore vision to thousands waiting for transplants and improve the quality of life for the visually impairedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever