Port Blair, Aug 24: The National Eye Donation Fortnight is observed every year from 25th August to 8th September.
DrKavitaBhatnagar, Professor & HOD, Dept of Ophthalmology, Andaman & Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Science, Port Blair informed that it is a campaign which aims to create mass public awareness and to pledge their eyes for donation after death.
Blindness is one of the major public health problems in the developing countries. Statistic show that there are 15 million blind people in India and out of this, 6.8 million people are suffering from corneal blindness.
Eye donation is an act of donating one’s eyes after his/her death. It is an act of charity, purely for the benefit of the society and is totally voluntary. The eye donation of the deceased can be authorized by the next of kin even if the decreased did not pledge to donate his/her eyes before death.
Some Facts We Need To Know About Eye Donation
The eyes are never bought or sold. Eye donation is never refused.
Donated Eyes will be collected only after death and a living person’s eyes cannot be taken out for grafting purposes. Neither any synthetic material nor animal eye is substitute for human eyes.
Only those of legal age (+18 yrs) can enroll as Eye Donors by submitting one completed registration form, although age is no bar to donate the eyes of the departed.
Age, Sex, bodily diseases (diabetes, blood pressure etc.) and Eye diseases (wearing, glasses, cataract retinal detachment, Eye Surgery) is no bar to donate eyes as long as front most portion of the eye – Cornea is healthy. Spectacle wearers, hypertensive and people suffering from systemic diseases like asthma and tuberculosis also can donate eyes. Patients who have undergone cataract surgery also can donate eyes.
One can donate the Eyes of the departed relatives though they have never registered as Eye donors.
To donate the eyes of the departed, contact nearest Eye Bank/Eye Surgeon at any time of day and night. Eyes have to be removed within 6 hours after death. Till then, keep the eyelids of the departed closed .Removal of Eyes will take only 15 to 20 minutes. It will be done right at the place where the body is, any time of day and night, without disfiguring the face and without any expense to the donor family.
The corneal blind, who are about 25 lakhs in our country, can be helped by Cornea Grafting Surgery and not those blinded by other diseases. The whole Eye ball cannot be transplanted or replaced. In spite of enrollment in any Eye Bank, Eyes can be offered to any other nearest Eye Bank as place of death cannot be predicted.
Internationally accepted ethics refrain us from disclosing the information about Donor and Donnie to each other as this is maintained confidential by the Eye Bank.
When registering yourself as an Eye Donor it is advisable to discuss the matter with your family friends, lawyer, Personal physician etc, because your noble offer may not be fulfilled when the family is ignorant of or forgets this matter.
Please motivate your friends and relatives to enroll as Eye donors. In the event of anyone’s death please find out the possibility of Eye donation and contact the Eye Bank if consent is obtained.
The donated corneas are transplanted to patient’s eye who are waiting list in accordance with the priority based on guidelines to avoid malpractices.
Eye donation gives sight to two blind persons. One blind person is given one eye.
There is a 24-hour exclusive help line 1919 provided by BSNL and MTNL all over the country to facilitate easy access to the nearest eye bank .Eye bank of GB Pant Hospital ,Port Blair can be contacted any time at following number- 03192- 232023.
