DONATE EYES, Give SIGHT
The National Program for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), Government of India, reveals that corneal blindness is the second most common cause of blindness (8.2%) in the population aged 50 years or above, and at the same time, it is the leading cause of blindness (37.5%) in those between 0 and 49 years of age***
Conventionally, we require 100,000 transplants per year to reduce the burden of corneal blindness.
If you have chosen to become an eye donor, after your lifespan your cornea (the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye) alone is transplanted to another person who has corneal blindness, restoring sight. For those looking for eye donation Chennai, there are several registered centers making this noble cause possible.
Who can Donate?
Anyone, after death, even those who have had cataract surgery or other intraocular surgeries. Death due to certain cancers and infections are a contraindication, which the organ donor team from the concerned eye donation hospital will decide on a case-to-case basis.
How to Donate?
Pledge: Inform your family and friends about your wish to donate your eyes. Inform the details of the eye donation hospital and to whom you have pledged to your family.
Contact: After death, the family should immediately contact the nearest eye bank Chennai as soon as possible. Eye Donation must be done within 6 hours of death.
Immediate Care: Make sure the lids are completely closed and place a cotton or cloth piece with cold water or ice on it.
Procedure: A trained eye bank team will arrive to collect the corneas (the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye), a process that is free of charge. In some situations, the entire eye will be removed and the relevant structures preserved in the eye bank Chennai for transplanting to deserving patients A written consent from the next of kin will be taken before taking the eye/ cornea.
What will happen after the eyes are taken?
In the eye bank of the eye hospital, a trained ophthalmic surgeon will check the health of the cornea of each eye, and then place it in a medium in the eye bank. The patients needing corneal transplant are called at the earliest and operated upon, sometimes only a layer of the cornea is transplanted and in other cases the whole cornea is used, these decisions are taken by the treating ophthalmic surgeon
Confidentiality of the donor and recipient is maintained
Facts:
Whether the entire eye is removed or only the corneas, the collecting team will ensure preserving the donor's natural facial appearance
Age, visual acuity, spectacles, intraocular surgeries and conditions like diabetes and hypertension do not disqualify a donor
The procedure is quick, taking only about 15-20 minutes, and is performed with respect, ensuring it doesn't interfere with funeral arrangements. It is performed at the hospital or home of the deceased
By reaching out to an eye donation hospital or registered eye donate center, you can help transform lives through eye donation. Several reputed eye bank Chennai initiatives ensure that the gift of vision is passed on with dignity and care.
Eye donation is a charitable act, and selling or buying eyes is illegal and a punishable offense