IGMC eye bank gives vision to 250 in 9 yrs

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 25

As many as 250 visually impaired patients got their vision restored at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and hospital with the help of donated eyes. Over 1,100 live donors have donated their eyes to the IGMC eye bank.

This has come to light on the eve of National Eye Donation Fortnight, being launched by the Health Department to facilitate cadaver as well live eye donations, from August 25 to September 8.

The eye bank was stared at IGMC about nine years ago. “In this period, we have performed 250 eye transplants in the hospital with over 70 per cent success rate,” said Prof Ram Lal, head of ophthalmology, IGMC. Depending upon the infection of the eyeballs, vision of the patients is restored partially or wholly, he stated.

In many cases, the infected eye balls of the patients are removed to give them a more natural look and patients feel at home. About 18 per cent who need eye transplant are totally blind, he said.

Prof Ram Lal said over 1,100 people have pledged to donate their eyes at the eye bank so far.

However, the performance of the eye bank at Tanda medical college and two donation centres, at Dharamsala and Nahan, started two years ago, is not encouraging. The Tanda hospital has performed one transplant so far and the two centres have not received significant number of donors for the past two years, informed the health officials.

Donate for Noble cause: Parmar

Health Minister Vipin Parmar said the state Health Department would organise camps to create awareness about eye donations at the Dharamsala and Nahan centres to encourage people to donate eyes. “We urge residents to donate their eyes liberally. Talks would be held at medical colleges and hospitals from tomorrow and will continue till September 8,” he added.