|
|
 |
|
HOW TO DONATE EYE?
Blindness can be due to several causes. These may be:
1. Refractive errors
2. Cataract
3. Glaucoma
4. Retinal changes in Diabetic Retinopathy
5. Age Related Macular Degeneration ( ARMD)
6. Corneal Blindness.
7. Xerophthalmia (Vit A deficiency).
Eye Donation
|
|
| Corneal blindness occurs because of damage to the
cornea due to nutritional deficiency, injury due to accidents, and diseases or infections like trachoma,
conjunctivitis and smallpox. The normally transparent cornea becomes opaque thus preventing the light from
entering the eye causing total or partial blindness. Out of the total estimated 2.5 million corneal blind
people at least half of them can gain vision by the means of proper corneal transplant.
The new cornea to be transplanted cannot be artificially created and has to come from a human body.
It comes from a dead body ONLY.
|
 |
| Demand Vs. Supply |
|
To cater to over a million corneally blind and an addition of approx.20, 000 more to this
figure every year we need atleast 50,000-60,000 pairs of cornea every year. The current annual
procurement is 6,000-7,000 pairs. These figure are in a country where the annually 12-13 million
deaths occur.
|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| Consent Is Required |
|
Although the health of an individual is the responsibility of the state government, recently
the Central Government has enacted the "TRANSPLANTATION OF HUMAN ORGANS ACT 1994". The removal of
eyes for therapeutic purposes has been defined under this act. This act applies to all the states
and all union territories.
|
| It permits the removal of corneas after the
death of a person either with written consent of the donor (while he is alive) or after obtaining
the necessary authority from the person who is lawfully in the possession of the dead body of the
donor. The identity of the donor is not revealed and to avoid commercial misuse of the corneas they
are provided free of cost for transplantation. |
|
| How To Donate Eyes? For Donors |
|
1. To apply for an eye donation, fill up an easy form available at any of the GANGAR
EYENATION's stores. You can also download the form by clicking on the adjoining link.
2. Or, write to your nearest eye bank & register your wish to donate eyes.
3. If the eye bank sends you a registration card, display too prominently so that it will
serve as a long-term reminder.
4. Discuss very often your intention to donate eyes with your family, friends, & family
physician.
|
| |
| |
|
|
| For Donor's Relatives: |
| If you have a moral responsibility or
authority to donate the eyes of the deceased then:
1. Get the death certificate quickly.
2. Contact the nearest eye bank or DIAL 1919.
3. Close the eyelids.
4. Place small packs of ice over the closed lids.
5. Switch off the fans
6. Raise the donor's head by at least 6 inches by putting two pillows below the head.
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
