Eye donation can help 1.2L blind Indians: Doctors

On the occasion of the 33rd National Eye Donation Fortnight in Delhi, observed between August 25 and September 8 every year to increase the awareness towards eye donation in India, doctors say that eye donation can help 1,20,000 Indians suffering from corneal blindness.

According to a study published in 2011, there are around 45 million blind people in the world, of which 12 million are in India, accounting for a quarter of global blindness. Of these 12 million, one per cent, that is 1.2 lakh suffer from corneal blindness.

"Corneal blindness is among the top five causes of preventable blindness in India. Corneal donation can give a hope of sight to someone living in the dark. Do your bit and see someone's life get lit," said Dr Rohit Saxena, Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, AIIMS.

It is suggested that eyes can be donated by anyone including people who have undergone cataract surgery, retina surgery, or have glaucoma, diabetes or high blood pressure. There are certain medical conditions, such as particular kinds of cancers and hepatitis B, where the deceased cornea cannot be used to treat patients because of the risk of transmission of disease.

"Corneal transplant surgery can help people suffering from corneal blindness," said Dr Ikeda Lal, Cornea, and Refractory Surgery Specialist, at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi.