5 Things about Eye Donation You Didn't Know About!

Eye donation is a charitable act wherein a person pledges to donate his/her eyes after death. In India, lakhs of people are in need of a corneal

transplant to restore their eyesight. Unfortunately, less than ten per cent

of this demand is met and most people have to suffer blindness. It is estimated that 12 million people in India are waiting for a corneal

transplant. 1/4th of the world's blind population resides in India, many of

whom are children. These striking figures have also led to some proposals

that eye donation after death should be made compulsory. There have been considerable efforts from the government, NGOs and private

institutes to increase public awareness about the need for an increased eye donation in India. The donation figures remain abysmally low. The reason for hesitancy in committing to eye donation after death is due to a lack of awareness about the process as well as deep-rooted superstitions which again originate from the lack of understanding about organ donation. Here's How You Can Donate Your Organs, 8 Things You Should Know

Here are five things about eye donation which elude most people-

1. The whole eye is not transplanted-

Presently, only the cornea and sclera can be used for transplantation, not

the whole eye. The cornea is the transplant layer which covers the front of the eye and Sclera is the white part of the eye. In fact, a cornea transplant is one of the most commonly performed transplant procedure in human beings currently.

2. There is no age limit to donate eyes-

If a person has pledged to donate his/her eyes, they are retrieved only after

their death. In most cases, the eyes are utilised to give the gift of sight

to someone in need, but after the age of 80, sometimes eye can become

ineligible to be used for donation. Eyes must be retrieved within 4-6 hours

of death, and the donated eyes must be used within four days.

3. Eye donation is against my religion-

All the major religions of the world support eye donation and encourage it

as a noble social service which gives someone else the ability to live a

better quality of life. This gift of sight is consistent with the right

values which are preached by all the world's religions.

4. Donor's family will neither pay nor receive any money-

It is a purely voluntary act of charity for which the donor or donor's family

is not given any money, as the selling or buying of organs is illegal. The

donor's family should contact the nearest eye bank so that a medical

practitioner can visit and retrieve the eyes. The entire process takes not

more than 30 minutes. The donor's family is not asked to pay any sum to

facilitate the process of eye donation.

5. Not everyone is eligible to donate eyes-

While eyes are one of the easiest organs to donate, with weak eyesight and

even treated cataract proving no hindrance, the donor needs to be tested for high-risk diseases like HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, etc. In case the eye

tissue is not suitable to be used for donation, it is evaluated for medical

research.

There is no discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender or

religion when it comes to eye donation. This selfless act has the capacity to improve someone's quality of life by giving them the gift of sight. So pledge to donate eyes, and be sure to inform your next of kin so that they can implement your decision after your death.

(This article is contributed by Dr Uma Mallaiah, Senior Consultant, Ophthalmologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 31, 2018 05:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).