SVIMS and Aravind Eye Hospital join hands for eye donation

TIRUPATI: Towards fighting preventable blindness, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) Hospital and Sri Venkateswara Aravind Eye Hospital signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday, underlining the life-changing power of eye donation.

The agreement aims to strengthen eye donation services and create wider public awareness so that more people can regain vision even after losing hope.

On the occasion, SVIMS Director cum Vice Chancellor Dr RV Kumar described eye donation as one of the greatest forms of charity.

He said that even after death, a person continues to live on through their eyes, as one donor can give vision to two blind persons. Stressing the need for awareness, he called for eye donation campaigns at village, division and district levels.

He explained that if corneas are collected within six hours of death and transplanted in time, sight can be restored to those suffering from corneal blindness.

Sri Venkateswara Aravind Eye Hospital Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Ashok Vardhan echoed similar views and appealed to people to take social responsibility for eye donation.

He said timely collection and transplantation of corneas can bring back vision and transform lives.

“Eye donation is not just a medical act, it is a social service,” he noted.

Dr Biswajit Baral, Head of Cornea and Refractive Clinic at Sri Venkateswara Aravind Eye Hospital, explained that eye donation involves donating the eyes, especially the cornea, after death.

Even people with diabetes or blood pressure can donate their eyes. SVIMS Head of Ophthalmology Dr Ramya Deepti said corneal blindness affects nearly one lakh people, many of whom can see again through eye donation.

The speakers also highlighted key facts about eye donation. Eyes should be collected within four to six hours after death.

Eye bank staff or doctors visit the place of death and remove the cornea through a simple and respectful procedure.

For information or guidance on eye donation, people can contact SVIMS Hospital at 9440023503 or Sri Venkateswara Aravind Eye Hospital at 9398358828. Doctors Prabhanjan Kumar, Srihari, Shilpa Kadiyala, Tejaswini, Vineetha, Sravya and others participated in the programme.