Corneal transplant - a new ray of hope for visually impaired

Cornea related problems are one of the most common causes of blindness around the world. According to the statistics of WHO, there are 45 million blind patients worldwide, of whom one-third i.e. 15 million reside in India. There is an estimated 4.6 million corneal blind people in India. Out of this, 90 percent are below the age of 45, including 60 percent children who are below 12 years of age .

While the magnitude of problem is alarming, the good news is that almost 66 percent of the cases are preventable or curable if basic precautions are taken. Over 3 million people in India can recover their vision through corneal transplantation. Yet, no more than 5000 corneal grafts are performed annually. The reason - Lack of awareness!

Eye donation and restoration of vision through corneal transplant is a winning combination of benevolence and wonders of modern medical science. A safe procedure with success rate of more than 90 percent, corneal transplants represents a hopeful solution to those whose cornea has become too damaged such that eyesight is severely impaired.

According to Dr. Nag Rao, president of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, 100,000 corneas are needed for transplants each year in India but only about 10,000 are collected. This calls for a pressing need of launching a national awareness drive, backed by timely counseling of the grieving family, who are authorized to donate the eyes of their beloved relatives at the time of their death.

Remember, by donating a pair of eyes you can make a big difference to the lives of two corneal blind persons. Besides, no body is going to live here forever so lets donate our eyes and light up the lives of others even after death.

Who can donate eyes?

Almost everyone from the age of one onwards can donate eyes. There is no age limit to become an eye donor. No matter if you have a poor eyesight or have had cataract surgery, if you're young or old, have hypertension or diabetes, you can donate your eyes without any concerns. Even a person who has lost his/her sight due to retinal or optic-nerve related disease can donate eyes, given that the cornea is unclouded.

Those who wish to donate their eyes can make a pledge with any eye bank, resolving to donate their eyes after death. Even if the deceased family member has not signed a pledge form, their immediate relatives can give consent for the donation. As the eyes need to be collected within six hours of death, one must inform the eye bank as early as possible.

Tej Kohli Foundation Corneal Transplant Program

On a recent visit to India, Mr. Tej Kohli, the founder of Tej Kohli Foundation, was deeply moved by the plight of blind people in India and set out on a mission to eradicate it. Tej Kohli foundation in association with a local NGO, and eye institute is aiming to assist over 1000 people in regaining their sight through corneal transplantation. The foundation will also donate 10 million (INR) every month to establish eye camps and several awareness programs.

The foundation is also in the process of opening a clinic in Gurgaon (Haryana) where eye camps will be organized for identifying the patients in need.