Bareilly: Shri Ram Murti Smarak (SRMS) Medical College observed World Eye Donation Day with a renewed call for greater public awareness and participation in eye donation, emphasizing its transformative role in restoring sight and improving lives.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Neelima Mehrotra, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at SRMS Medical College, highlighted the importance of eye donation and urged people to pledge their eyes after death. She said that eye donation is one of the noblest acts of humanity, enabling individuals to continue giving the gift of sight even after their lifetime.
“By promoting eye donation, we can bring light into the lives of thousands of visually impaired people. Corneal blindness remains one of the leading causes of vision loss after cataracts and glaucoma, and many such cases can be treated through corneal transplantation,” Dr. Mehrotra said.
She noted that increasing screen time and excessive smartphone usage have emerged as additional factors affecting eye health, making awareness about eye care and donation even more important.
Dr. Mehrotra explained that after a person’s death, healthy corneas can be donated and transplanted into individuals suffering from corneal blindness, helping them regain vision through a surgical procedure. She emphasized that eye donation does not disfigure the donor’s face and remains completely safe and dignified.
Addressing common misconceptions, she clarified that people of any age, gender, religion, or blood group can donate their eyes. Individuals with diabetes, hypertension, asthma, cataracts, or those who wear spectacles are also eligible to donate. However, eyes from persons suffering from infections such as AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or rabies cannot be used for transplantation.
According to Dr. Mehrotra, eye donation is most effective within four hours of death, although corneas can generally be retrieved up to six to eight hours afterward. She also stressed that the identities of both donors and recipients remain strictly confidential.
Providing information about the institution’s eye donation services, she said that the SRMS Eye Bank, established in 2002, has already registered more than 1,500 eye donation pledges. The eye bank can be contacted through its toll-free helpline 1919 or at 0581-258200 and 7900552000 for assistance related to eye donation.
She further informed that each eye donor can potentially benefit at least two visually impaired individuals through corneal transplantation. In many cases, the transplant procedure can be performed on the same day, ensuring timely treatment for recipients.
The awareness initiative aimed to motivate more people to pledge their eyes and contribute to eliminating preventable corneal blindness. Medical experts at SRMS emphasized that eye donation is a simple yet powerful way to leave behind a lasting legacy of hope and vision.
The programme concluded with an appeal to citizens to discuss eye donation with their families and take the pledge to help restore sight to those living in darkness.
— Reported by Akhilesh Chandra Saxena, Bareilly
