Eye
Donation – Some facts
Please call the C
U Shah Eye Bank at Sankara Nethralaya, if
in Chennai, as early as possible on 28281919
(Hot line for Eye Donation) / 28271616 as
eyes have to be removed within six hours after
death occurs
Do you know that our eyes live even after
our death? Do you know that we can light the
life of a blind person by donating our eyes
after our death? Do you know that eye donation
is the noblest of all causes?
C U Shah Eye Bank at SANKARA NETHRALAYA operates
24 hours throughout the year. Through our
Eye Bank, we obtain, evaluate and distribute
eyes received as donations from good-minded
people for use in corneal transplantation,
research and education. We do this with utmost
care taking into account patient safety by
adopting strict medical standards. While eyes
that are found suitable for corneal transplantation
are used for corneal transplantation, other
eyes received that are not suitable for transplantation,
are also put to good use as these are used
for research and education.
Magnitude of the problem of blindness
in India
We have an estimated 4.6 million people
with corneal blindness that is curable through
corneal transplantation with eyes received
by us as donations. Out of this, an estimated
4.6 million are 90% of the people with corneal
blindness are below the age of 45 years
including some 4.5 million below the tender
age of 12 as could be seen from the following
chart:
More than 90% of the corneal transplantation
is carried out successfully in restoring
vision to people with corneal blindness.
Including infants born with cloudy cornea,
corneal transplantation can make a big difference
to the rest of their lives. Your beloved
ones thus live and light up the lives of
others even after death.
Some frequently asked questions
about eye donation
Who can be eye donors?
Any good-minded human being from the age
of z year can be a donor without any maximum
limit for donating the eye. All one needs
to do is bequeath his or her eyes by taking
a simple pledge to donate the eye after
death. While taking a pledge during ones
lifetime itself is a noble deed, it requires
the support of the relatives or friends
to carry out the wishes of eye donation
of the deceased. They need to call up the
Eye Bank immediately as the eye need to
be removed within a maximum of six hours
of death. People using spectacles, diabetes
and hypertensives can make eye donation.
Can the next of kin consent to
a donation if the deceased person has not
signed an eye donation form?
Yes, the relatives of the deceased can decide
on the eye donation of their beloved one.
How to make the eye donation?
The relatives of the deceased person can
donate the eyes of their beloved ones immediately
after the death. As explained already, the
eyes need to be collected within six hours
of death. So, call the C U Shah
Eye Bank if the deceased person is in Chennai,
as early as possible on 28281919 / 28271616
Please remember the following after
making the call to the C U Shah Eye Bank
at Sankara Nethralaya
- Keep both eyes of the beloved deceased
closed and cover with moist cotton.
- Switch off the ceiling fan, if any,
directly over the deceased person
- If possible, apply antibiotic eye drops
periodically in the deceased’s eyes
to reduce the chance of any infection.
- Raise the head of the deceased by about
six inches, if possible, to reduce the
chances of bleeding at the time of removal
of the eyes
Who cannot donate their eyes?
Death due to unknown causes. Death due to
infections caused viz. rabies, syphilis,
infectious hepatitis, septicemia, and AIDS,
cannot be a donor.
What is a cornea?
The cornea is the clear, transparent dome
in front of the "black portion" of the eye.
It is also the main focusing surface, which
converges light rays as they enter the eye
to focus on the retina. It is thus the most
important part of the optical apparatus
of the Eye. Loss of transparency directly
results in loss of vision
How does a cornea become opaque?
- Infection
- Injuries
- Iatrogenic (Malpractice, Improper Post-op.
care after any eye surgery)
- Malnutrition
- Congenital/Hereditary.
What is corneal transplantation?
A Corneal transplant is an operation that
replaces the opaque cornea with a clear
cornea obtained from a human donor.
Are there any religious conflicts
in eye donation?
There are no religious conflicts on eye
donation. Eye donation gives a gift of life
or sight to others. As such, it is consistent
with beliefs and attitudes of all major
religious and ethical traditions.
Will eye donation cause delays
in funeral arrangement?
No, Eye removal is performed within half
an hour after death and leaves no disfiguring,
that would interfere with common funeral
practices.
Is the whole eye of the donor transplanted?
No, only the cornea is transplanted. However,
the rest of the eye is used for research
and education purposes.
Can a person who is blind due to
retinal or optic nerve disease donate his
eyes?
Yes, provided the cornea of the donor is
clear.
Can a living person donate his
eyes?
No, donation from living persons is not
accepted.
Will the recipient be informed
of the donor’s details?
No, the gift of sight is made anonymously.
Are there any dedicated telephone
numbers for calling the Eye Bank for eye
donation?
Yes. In Chennai, we have a dedicated 28279949
where we can be contacted any time. As your
call expressing your desire to donate the
eyes of your beloved deceased is very important
to us, our Eye Bank works 24 hours a day
and 365 days in a year. Family members of
the deceased persons can contact us on this
phone number
How long will you take to reach?
Our team is trained to leave the hospital
within 15 minutes from the time of the call
and depending on the distance, will reach
within a maximum of one hour.
For emergencies, more details and
making your eye donation pledge, please
contact:
A.P. IRUNGOVEL, M.A., M.Phil.,PGDPSY.,PGDPR.,
MANAGER MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY, SANKARA NETHRALAYA,
18, COLLEGE ROAD, CHENNAI 600 006,
PH: 28271616 Extn. 1314. Direct Line - 28226694.
E-MAIL: api@snmail.org
irungovel2000@yahoo.com |
