Eye Donation

Yes – the procedure is very simple !!

A very simple procedure which can be implemented anywhere.

• Call 1919 (all over India) or the nearest eye bank.
• Keep the Death Certificate ready.
• Close the eye lids. Cover the closed lids with moist cotton.
• Switch off the fan (switch on the air-conditioner, if any).
• Raise the donor’s head by six inches by placing a pillow underneath the head.

• Donation – What does it mean ? : Gift, benefaction, charity, grant, beneficence, alms, contribution.
• Eye Donation – what does it mean ? : When eyes of the deceased are removed for the purpose of restoring vision to the corneally blind recipient (at no cost to the recipient), it is termed as an eye donation

An eye bank is the link between the donor and the recipient as well as the eye surgeon. It is also the center for dissemination of accurate information to the public.It is an organization recognized by the Government to collect, process, evaluate, screen and distribute human tissue (corneas) to those who require transplants. An eye bank is usually a public charitable trust with several income tax exemptions (80G, 35AC and FCRA) given specifically to collect public funds for the purpose of a noble cause.

Although the burden of eyeball collection from the deceased still remains with the eye banks, the cost of eyeball processing, surgery and hospitalization remains with the blind recipient (barring government hospitals) ….. and yet remains termed ironically as an “eye donation”

This is mainly because eye banking is neither looked upon as a specialised medical fraternity nor as a noble function but as a mere social cause meant only to enhance social credibility. Eye banking is controlled by politics and eye banks are run by architects, lawyers, chartered accountants and ophthalmic surgeons with vested interests (mainly in the city of Mumbai) …. anyone except professional eye bankers. In other words, eye donation has been commercialised in a very subtle way.

Yes. Autonomous public charitable trusts such as Tarun Mitra Mandal, Mumbai and the Ghaswala Vision Foundation, Mumbai, India promote the concept of a “true gift of sight” by covering the cost of surgery, surgeons fees, cost of hospitalisation, etc.

The Director of Health Services (Ophthalmology) has certified several eye banks for eye ball, collection, processing and cornea grafting. Together with Eye Bank Association of India, Hyderabad, the Government has laid down clear procedures to run an eye bank in terms of collection and processing. There are a few eye banks in India who have also received recognition from the International Federation of Eye & Tissue Banks, Baltimore, USA.

Sufficient awareness for eye donation has been created in the past 25 years. A latent desire to help is present amongst a wide majority of the literate as well as the illiterate class of people in India. However, incorrect and inadequate information has lead to poor response from the community.
For example, the eye bank needs to have an information desk or a public relations personnel who encourages the public to participate in this noble cause instead of giving hostile answers to random callers.
Secondly, the General practitioners and para medical staff play a pivotal role in encouraging the concept of eye donation but unfortunately a large majority are themselves ill informed.

Community awareness and participation to bring about “accountability and transparency” in the field of eye banking.

Yes. Any kind of banking is sure to benefit with the help of Information Technology… and India being an IT super power can contribute not only to our country but globally by successfully implementing “online eye banking”.

In brief, the entire process of eye ball collection, processing, distribution and cornea grafting (surgery) goes paperless and there after the analysis can be performed across several parameters not only for one particular eye bank but eye banks across the country or the globe. Online eye banking fulfills two extremely important functions (i) provides complete transparency and accountability (ii) measures performance of any individual eye bank in real time.