The National Eye Donation Fortnight is observed every year from 25th August to 8th September. It is a campaign that aims to create mass public awareness about the importance of eye donation. This campaign is done to motivate all the people to pledge their eyes for donation after death, so that many blind people can get a gift of sight.
History:
The National Eye Donation Fortnight is a unique initiative of the medical field. The event of National Eye Donation Fortnight was started in the year 1985. This was started by the Ministry of Health under the Government of India. It was initiated by understanding the need for eye donation awareness in our country that can help many blind people to get their sight.
It is observed every year across the country with different themes each year. The celebration of National Eye Donation Fortnight is going on successfully since 1985, and we are going to observe 35th eye donation fortnight in the year 2020.
Understanding the need for eye donation:
Blindness due to corneal disease is one of the major eye-related public health problems in India. Currently, there are 4.2 billion corneal blind people across the globe. In India, there are around 1.2 million corneal blind persons in India. among this, 10% are children. One in every 1000 children is blind due to corneal disease. Around 20000 to 30000 cases are added every year to this number.
The major causes of corneal blindness are infection, injury to the eye due to chemicals, congenital corneal opacity disease. Common causes include corneal dystrophy and degeneration and trachoma. The most common causes of unilateral and bilateral corneal blindness reported were keratitis during childhood, trauma and keratitis during adulthood
Awareness studies on eye donation in the Indian population reveal that illiteracy and rural residence are strong predictors of ignorance about eye donation. Awareness of eye donation in rural and urban populations varies widely from 28% to 80.6%. A hospital-based study conducted among relatives of potential donors brought for post-mortem to a tertiary care hospital in India revealed that none of the deceased had previously pledged their eyes. The major reasons for not donating eyes are refusal to discuss the issue, not being aware of the need for eye donation, lack of knowledge about how to donate, scared about legal problems and religious beliefs.
Know more about eye donation:
After the death of a person, various organs can be donated and can be surgically transplanted to the patients who need them. One such organ is the eye. By donating eyes after death, a corneal blind person can see again through a surgical procedure known as corneal transplantation, whereby the damaged cornea is replaced by a healthy cornea from the eye donor.
- Eye donation is donating one’s eyes after his/her death.
- Only corneal blinds people are benefitted from donated eyes.
- Corneal blindness is the loss of sight due to damage in the tissue covering the front of the eye called the cornea.
- Anyone can donate their eyes irrespective of age, gender and blood group.
- The cornea should be removed within an hour of death.
- Eyes of the donated person can save the vision of two corneal blind people.
- Eye removal takes only 10-15 minutes and leaves no scar or disfigurement of the face.
- Eyes can be donated even if pledging was not done before death.
- After death, a relative of the deceased can decide about eye donation.
- Donated eyes are never bought or sold. Eye donation is never refused.
- Contact the eye bank to become a registered eye donor.
- People with diabetes, hypertension, asthma can also donate eyes.
- People who had undergone cataract surgery or any eye surgery can also donate eye.
- No religion considers eye donation as sin.
Frequently asked questions regarding eye donation:
Q: Who can donate eye?
Anyone can be a donor, irrespective of age, sex, blood group or religion. People who use lenses or spectacles for short-sightedness, long-sightedness, or even those whose eyes are operated can still donate their eyes. Poor eyesight does not come in way of eye donation.
Q: Can I donate my eyes, if I m diabetic or hypertension?
Diabetic patients or those who are suffering from hypertension, asthma can also donate their eyes. Anyone with cataracts can also donate their eyes. However, a person with communicable diseases cannot donate his/her eyes.
Q: How is eye donation helpful?
Persons who have lost their sight because of damage to the cornea can hope to regain it with corneal grafting or corneal transplantation.
Q: Please specify the conditions where one cannot donate eyes?
Persons who have systemic infections like AIDS, hepatitis B or C, Rabies, Tetanus, Malaria cannot donate their eyes. Apart from this, there are many rare diseases which are contraindication.
Q: After how many hours of death, eyes can be donated?
The corneas should be removed preferably within an hour, but can be removed up to a maximum of 6-8 hours, of death.
Q: Does eye donation disfigure the face?
No, It is a myth that eye donation disfigures the face. Removal of the cornea does not cause any disfigurement. After the eyeball has been removed, a transparent eye cap is placed in the eye in place of the eyeball.
Q: Why should I donate my eyes?
Eye donation is a noble cause. Donating your eyes to another person can light up the life of two people.
Q: When can I donate my eyes?
Eye donation can be pledged at any age but a donation is carried out only after death.
Q: Will the donor’s family pay or receive any fees?
No, It is illegal to buy and sell human eyes, organs and tissues. Any costs associated with eye transplants are borne by the eye bank.
Q: In case of a person’s death; what is the instruction that people around can follow?
- Close the eyelids of the donor
- Switch off the fan; you can switch on the air -conditioner
- Raise the head of the deceased slightly by placing a pillow underneath
- Contact the nearest eye bank as quickly as possible
Q: Is it necessary to take a donor to the hospital?
No, you just need to contact the eye bank team. The team will go to the donor’s residence or the hospital where the death has occurred and perform the corneal excision.
Q: Is there any other formality to be done for eye donation
Eye Donation can be done only with the written consent of the next of kin in the presence of two witnesses.
Q: How can I donate my eyes?
For eye donation, you are required to fill the pledge form and send it to any of the nearest eye banks. Once you are registered as an eye donor you will be provided an Eye Donor Card.
To register and pledge your eye,
Please click here:- http://bit.ly/Donateeyes
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