An Eye donation for Blind- A Blessing for Mankind
First let’s learn an interesting fact about the eye. We all blink about 12 times every minute.
Hey, you just blinked!
Over 39 million people across the globe are suffering from blindness. In many cases the retinal ganglion cells are not able to regenerate making blindness irretrievable. Advancement in medical science has provided a ‘remedy’ for that too. Whole Eye Transplant (WET) is the name of that ‘remedy.’
The key requirement of the Whole Eye Transplant is an eye donor.
Eye Donation
What is Eye Donation?
Can you imagine a single day without your vision?
The magic that eye transmits to the brain to keep it motivated is momentary. Millions in the world have blacked out perspectiveof the beauty of the universe, as they are suffering from blindness. Eye donation is a sincere deed of donating one’s eyes after death. Your essence will be present after even in your absence. One person’s eye donation after death can facilitate vision in two blind people eye.
What is an Eye Bank?
A charitable, not for profit organization.
Objectives of the eye banks-
o To facilitate removal, processing, evaluation and distribution of the eyes.
o To provide blind individuals with pledged donor’s eyes.
The first Eye Bank was set up in The United States in 1945 at New York City.
There are over five hundred eye banks in India.
Eye banks in Delhi
· VENU EYE INSTITUTE AND RESEARCH CENTRE
ROTARY REGENCY GIFT OF SIGHT COORDINATION AND PROCESSING CENTRE
AT: EDWARD MOUMENEE EYE BANK
1/31, SHEIKH SARAI, PHASE-II, INSTITUTIONAL AREA
NEW DELHI- 110017
Phone: 29250952; 29251951; 29252370
Email: eyebank@venueyeinstitute.org
· NATIONAL EYE BANK
DR. RAJENDRA PRASAD CENTRE FOR OPHTHALMIC SCIENCES
AIIMS, ANSARI NAGAR
NEW DELHI-110029
Phone:011- 26593060, 26588500; 26864851; 26569461, M-9868398404
Email: nationaleyebank_rpc@gmail.com
DR. SHROFF'S CHARITY EYE HOSPITAL
5027, KEDAR NATH ROAD
DARYA GANJ
NEW DELHI- 110002
Phone:011-43524444; 43528888
Email:donateeyes@sceh.net
Centre for Sight – Eye Bank
At Centre for Sight Eye Group Hospital
B05/24, Safdarjung Enclave
New Delhi-110 029
Phone: 011-45738888, 41644000
Incharge Eye Bank
Rotary Central Eye Bank
Sir Ganga Ram Eye Hospital
Rajinder Nagar
NEW DELHI – 110 060
Phone: 25721800, 25781837
Phone: akgrover55@yahoo.com
Eye Bank Incharge
Sewa Eye Bank
C/o. M.M. Eye Tech. Hospital
29, LalaLajpat Rai Marg
Lajpat Nagar-III
NEW DELHI-110 024
Phone: 011-29841919, M-9212035119
Email: sewaeyebank@yahoo.in
What is the use of the donated eyes?
The cornea, a clear layer forming the front of the eye, is used to restore vision to any corneal blind person. Whole eye transplant is another ray of hope to cure blindness. Rest parts of the eye are used by healthcare professionals for research purposes to generate cures for other prevalent eye diseases.
How can we donate eyes?
· Visit the nearest Eye Bank and get yourself registered by filling pledge form.
· Once you are registered, an eye donor card will be provided to you.
Same can be done by virtually visiting via digital mediums.
· The eyes of a dead body is of use if they are extracted within six hours of death.
· The eyes of the donor must be kept misty by sprinkling water on them right after the demise of the donor.
· One the eye surgeon arrives then it takes ten to fifteen minutes to remove eyes and stitch the eyelids together.
· The onus to inform the nearest eye bank about the demise of the pledged donor is on the relatives.
It feels igniting when we help someone and make their life easy. We are taught in moral science to be kind to all. It is not necessary to be Warren Buffet or Bill Gates to be a great philanthropist. A simple gesture of getting eye donor card from the nearest eye bank can bring light and sunshine in someone’s life. Eye surgery in India is phenomenally performed. Veteran healthcare professionals and state-of-the-art healthcare providers are the reasons for successful eye transplants in India.