National Health Mission MP unit director Priyanka Das addressed the workshop organized for National Eye Donation fortnight.
She showed her concern that eye donation is content only in the urban areas needs to be taken to rural areas both for corneal retrieval programme as well as cornea donation. Priyanka Das further pointed out her concern that despite deceased donor consent there is a need for taking fresh consent from close relatives of the deceased donors to obviate the problems in this procedure.
She advocated the need of taking pre consent from the nearest relatives at the time of donation pledge made by person during life time and that be legally accepted. On the occasion Managing Trustee Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital LC Janiyani, Consultant Col Dr Madan Deshpandey, State Programme Officer (Blindness Control) Anshul Upadhyaya, Manager Duo Kushal Dharmani and Bharti Janiyani were mainly present.
Col. Dr Madan Deshpandey said that in public and private partnership is the modern necessity of eye donation. He said that the donation is a part of our culture. As per our religious affiliation the head of elephant was affixed on Lord Ganesha while head of a goat was put on the forehead of king Daksh. Dr. Deshpandey said before corona pandemic as many as 60 to 65 thousand corneas were collected every year in our country. Now this quantum of cornea balls is reduced at present 30 to 35 thousand corneas are only being received.
Of them 75% are used in optical transplantation while 25% cornea are used in therapeutic and research purposes. He further said that the transplantation of healthy cornea of a young dead body benefits the recipient for clear vision.
Therefore the efforts should be made to receive such corneas immediately after mishap of fatal accidents causing the death of young people. He further suggested to appoint grief counselor in big general and Govt. hospitals and try to collect corneas. Dr. Deshpandey also suggested that the SSEH should be made a nodal hospital for eye donation.
Managing Trustee SSEH L.C. Janiyani said that as many as 1918 cornea transplantation have so far been performed in last 26 years. In view to save eyes of a deceased from burning and burial the social awareness for eye donation should be spreaded. Hospital Manager Kushal Dharmani said that in our country there are 120 Lakh eye patients out of them the vision of 96 Lakh eye patients can be saved. Kushal said that at the time of filing pledge paper of eye donation the family members of should also be aware with this pious will of the donor.
Manager Bharti Janiyani said that with the eye donation, no deformity in face of deceased emerges. In the last, employees of NHM including mission director filed their pledge papers. Janiyani and Col. Deshpandey handed over the certificate of eye donation to Mission director Priyanka Das. SPO Anshul Upadhyaya proposed vote of thanks.