Pledge corneas for the needy: Eye experts

Corneal transplants have dropped by at least 52% during pandemic, says EBAI

Hyderabad: Covid pandemic, which has lasted for more than 18 months in Telangana and across the country, has impacted corneal transplants and donations. Due to safety concerns during the pandemic, corneal transplants had to be halted, affecting needy patients and corneal donations.

According to estimates, corneal transplants have dropped by at least 52 per cent during the pandemic. Based on data form Eye Bank Association of India (EBAI), the number of corneal transplants has reduced to 12,998 between April 2020 and March 2021, while 27,075 corneal transplants were conducted in the previous year.

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To encourage corneal donations and transplantations, ophthalmologists and eye care industry are organising a series of events across Hyderabad and elsewhere in the country. On the occasion of the ongoing eye donation fortnight, experts have urged people to pledge corneas.

“We urge people to come forward and pledge for eye donation. Persons willing and pledging to donate corneas should ensure they inform their family members, and request them to execute the same after their death. Eye donation can happen only after the death of a person and consent from their family members,” Dr Sunita Chaurasia, Medical Director, Ramayamma International Eye Bank, LV Prasad Eye Institute, said in a press release.

Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital Senior Ophthalmologist Dr Badri Prasad Dogne said, “With tens of thousands of corneal blindness cases being added every year to the existing burden, the annual demand for corneal transplantations is on the rise and to meet this dearth, the public needs to be educated on eye donation.”

To encourage cornea donations, ENTOD Pharma, involved in the field of ophthalmology therapeutics, has launched https://www.pledgemyeyes.org/ to enable people pledge corneas. Nikkhil K Masurkar, ED, ENTOD Pharma, said, “Eyes donated by a person can help restore vision in two corneal blind people. Lack of awareness and myths associated with eye donation prevents people from donating their eyes.”

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