Jaipur, As many as 17,675 visually impaired persons across seven states and 30 cities have regained eyesight through eye donation over the past 24 years, driven by awareness efforts of the Eye Bank Society of Rajasthan, officials said on Sunday.
Despite the life-changing impact of eye donation, people are still not coming forward in adequate numbers due to prevailing myths and lack of awareness, the NGO said.
According to data shared by the society, a total of 27,307 corneas have been collected since its establishment in 2002, enabling free transplants for thousands of beneficiaries.
Society president B L Sharma said lakhs of people are waiting for corneal transplants, and this gap can only be reduced if awareness increases and more people pledge to donate eyes.
He said several myths discourage people, including beliefs that the body should not be touched after death, eye donation affects appearance, or that full eyes are removed for transplantation.
“If more people come forward for eye donation, the burden of corneal blindness in Rajasthan can be significantly reduced,” he said, adding that social awareness at the family and community level is crucial.
Society manager Priyanka Swami said corneas collected in Rajasthan are also being sent to 30 cities across states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Haryana.
She said over three lakh people in Rajasthan suffer from corneal blindness, but misconceptions often prevent families from opting for eye donation.
She said the organisation conducts awareness drives through camps and help desks at hospitals, temples, colleges and offices. It currently operates 14 centres across 16 districts and facilitates about 91 per cent of corneal transplants in the state.
Corneas are brought to Jaipur, processed for transplantation and distributed to government and private hospitals. They can be preserved for up to 15 days in special solutions, after which unused corneas are utilised for medical research.
Beneficiaries and donor families also highlighted the impact of eye donation. A recipient, Gaurav Thapa, said he regained vision ahead of his wedding after receiving a donated cornea, while a donor’s family member, Sunil Bairwa, said it was a matter of pride that their loved one continues to “see the world” through someone else’s eyes.
Vikas Saini began losing his vision after being hit in the eye by a cricket ball. He said he had always dreamed of becoming a doctor, but after the injury, he was stressed about whether he would ever be able to achieve his goal.
“After the operation, when I could see again, it was the greatest happiness of my life. Now, I will definitely fulfil my dream,” he said.
Once helpless due to blindness, Pawan Sharma is now happy after undergoing a corneal transplant and is grateful to the eye donor. He said regaining his vision has brought new enthusiasm and hope into his life.
Bobby, who developed corneal problems soon after her marriage, had become dependent on others even for small tasks, which made life difficult.
“After the operation, I got a new life. I cannot express my happiness in words,” she said.
Doctors said corneas should ideally be retrieved within six to eight hours of death and reach an eye bank within 24 hours, while noting that donation is not possible in certain medical conditions.
They emphasised that greater public participation in eye donation can help restore vision to thousands waiting for transplants and improve the quality of life for the visually impaired.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
