Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 25

Split cornea transplantation is likely to start soon at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Hospital.

The order for advanced machines worth Rs 40 lakh has been placed. “Transplantation will help us give sight to four corneal blind persons instead of two from one dead donor,” said Dr Ram Lal Sharma, professor and head, Ophthalmology Department, IGMC, during a webinar on the ‘Right to Donate Eyes’ hosted by the Umang Foundation.

He said there was a need to create a mass movement for eye donation. “Of the 1.20 crore visually impaired persons, 20 lakh are corneal blind, whose sight can be restored by corneal transplant. Only 40,000 to 50,000 corneas are available every year, the target is to procure at least one lakh corneas,” said Dr Sharma.

He said new advanced techniques would help eradicate corneal blindness. “In the past 10 years, 276 blind persons have been given sight through transplant and 180 are on the waiting list,” he added.