Have you donated your eyes?

Try to feel the world around you with your closed eyes for a few moments and you may realise how difficult it is to even walk properly leave aside experiencing the different colours and the vibrant life surrounding it.

In India, we have an estimated 4.6 million people with corneal blindness that is curable through corneal transplantation made possible by eye donation. Approximately 840,000 persons develop a corneal ulcer every year in India; this is 30 times the number of corneal ulcers seen in the United States. Also, nearly 22,000 corneas from donated eyes are collected against the requirement of about 1 lakh corneas per year in India. The cornea is the clear, transparent layer in front of the “black portion” of the eye. It is also the main focusing surface that converge light rays as they enter the eye to focus on the retina. A corneal transplant is an operation that replaces the opaque cornea with a clear cornea obtained from a human donor.

Eye donation is the noblest of all causes and people do feel passionate about this cause but fail to convert their feelings into action either due to lack of awareness or due to unavailability of proper information. Well, to start with, there is no age-limit for donating the eye and we can light the life of two blind people by donating our eyes after our death. All one needs to do is to take a simple pledge to donate the eyes after death. You can also fill the Eye Pledge Form online by visiting the URL: www.bharateyebank.org/eyepledgeform.php

Let’s get clarity on some points related to eye donation:-

• Eyes have to be removed within six hours after death
• The pledged eye can be removed at home or any other place where the body is kept after death. Till the authorized person comes to remove the eyes, switch off fans, keep air conditioner or cooler running and place wet cotton with ice over the closed eyelids. It will help keep the tissue moist and increase the viability of the donated cornea.
• Eye Donation leaves no disfigurement that will interfere with common funeral practices as it has to be  performed within six hours and the entire procedure takes 20-30 minutes only
• People using spectacles, have had a successful eye surgery, and those diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension can also donate their eyes
• The relatives of the deceased can decide on donating the eyes of their beloved one
• Eye Donation services by the government and voluntary sectors are provided free of charge.
• People who die due to infections, such as rabies, syphilis, infectious hepatitis, septicaemia, and AIDS, cannot donate.

Eye Donation is even less than 1/10th of what is required. You can contact your nearest Eye Collection Centre or Eye Bank (check the list by visiting http://mohfw.nic.in) and they will register your pledge and provide you with an Eye Donation Card. You can also dial a 24-hour toll-free number i.e. 1919 from MTNL for eye donation.

One Eye Donation can make two blind people see. Let’s make Eye Donation a family tradition.

Let your eyes change someone’s life… Let’s donate eyes…