Eye donation can restore vision in up to four persons, says official

One person’s eye donation can help restore vision in up to four people with advances in corneal transplantation techniques, said Dr V. Meenakshi, Superintendent of the Government Regional Eye Hospital and District Programme Manager of the District Blindness Control Society.

Meenakshi was speaking at an eye donation awareness programme organised in Visakhapatnam as part of the 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight, which is being observed from August 25 to September 8.

On Sunday, the District Blindness Control Society and Mohsin Eye Bank jointly organised an awareness rally from Kali Mata Temple on RK Beach to the YMCA. District Medical and Health Officer P. Jagadeeswara Rao and Meenakshi flagged off the rally.

Meenakshi said greater public awareness was needed to encourage eye donation. She added that a person’s eyes could be donated within six hours of death.

Several awareness programmes are being held during the fortnight to educate people about eye donation, she said.

During Sunday’s programme, eye donation counsellors distributed pamphlets among pedestrians at RK Beach and spoke to them about the importance of donating eyes. Participants carried placards and raised slogans to spread awareness.

Doctors, medical and nursing students, and healthcare workers participated in the rally. Those present included Dr Jyotirmayi, Dr Premalatha, Dr Gopal Raju of Visakha Eye Hospital, Dr Virender Sachdev of LV Prasad Eye Hospital, and Dr Dharmaraju of NRI Hospital.

Around 700 people took part in the programme. Students from the Government Nursing College, St Luke’s Nursing College and Andhra Medical College, along with representatives of LV Prasad Eye Hospital, Mohsin Eye Bank, Sankar Foundation Hospital, GITAM Hospital, Anil Neerukonda (NRI) Hospital, Pushpagiri Eye Hospital and Visakha Eye Hospital, participated in the rally.