EYE DONATION

Editorial . . . . . . 

India observes National Eye Donation Fortnight every year from August 25 to September 8. This campaign aims to raise public awareness of the value of eye donation and to inspire individuals to lend a hand to those who are blind from treatable conditions. The suffering of those who are helpless due to corneal opacity-related blindness is beyond our comprehension. The cornea, a clear tissue in front of the eye, allows the retina to view reflected light from the object. While some events or diseases can cause the cornea, a clear tissue, to become opaque, which causes vision loss in the affected person. With the aid of corneal replacement surgery, this condition is really a treatable cause of blindness. In India, 68 lakh people have corneal blindness in at least one eye, and 10 lakh of them have blindness in both eyes. According to the 2019 National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey, corneal blindness accounted for 37.5% of cases of blindness among patients under 50 years old and was the second most common cause among those over 50. India started the National Program for Control of Blindness in 1976 with the intention of lowering the rate of blindness. According to estimates, 1.2 million Indians are expected to be corneal blind, making corneal disease-related blindness a significant public health issue. According to the NPCB&VI survey from 2019, corneal opacity accounts for 8.2% of blindness cases. According to NPCB&VI estimates, over 30,000 new cases of corneal blindness are reported each year in India. Depending on the disease’s kind, one or both eyes may be affected, causing the opaque cornea to limit vision. For people with corneal problems, corneal transplantation is the sole treatment choice. The donation of eyes has significantly decreased as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic. However, according to NPCB data, there were around 45,294 donated eyes gathered in 2021–22, which is twice as many as were collected in 2020–21. 17,402 eyes were collected overall compared to the goal of 55,000 in 2020–21, and 11,895 keratoplasties were carried out. The goal was 60,000 in 2021–2022, and thus far 45,294 donated eyeballs and 24,783 keratoplasties have been gathered. 31,019 keratoplasty surgeries were carried out in 2019–20, and 65,417 donated eyeballs were collected. In India, 6.8 million people with corneal blindness miss out on the chance to regain their vision every year.

The vast disparity between the demand for and supply of donated eyeballs is primarily the result of widespread ignorance and misconceptions about eye donation. People are reluctant to donate their eyes because they are unaware of the need. Regardless of gender, age, religion, or blood type, anyone can donate their eye after death by making a promise for it. Except for those with infections or a few high-risk communicable disorders, the majority of people are eligible to donate corneas. A person can donate an eye even if they wear glasses and have a cataract. Within six to eight hours following death, the cornea or the entire eyeball is collected. The operation takes about fifteen minutes, and the donor’s face and eyeball are not altered. Even if the deceased had not pledged their eye during their lives, the eye bank crew will rush to the scene and be able to collect. The deceased’s head must be raised with a pillow, the fan turned off, the AC or cooler turned on, and the eyes must be covered with a damp cotton swab on closed eyes. The corneal tissue can, luckily, be kept at the Eye Bank for up to 14 days before being used for transplant. A corneal transplant can survive for ten years or longer without issues when carried out by a knowledgeable and experienced ophthalmologist. There is widespread motivational advertising for eye donation. It has been found that the obstacles to eye donation are more often related to misunderstanding and proper use of the donated tissue than to cultural or religious factors. However, in order to advance the eye banking movement in India as well as in Jammu and Kashmir, it is necessary to dispel these myths through appropriate strategies when developing informational, educational, and communicational materials. People who lack vision due to a treatable condition should have no hesitation in reaching out and offering assistance.