Thursday, Apr 25, 2024 | Last Update : 10:53 PM IST
Shortage of quality corneas for transplants: AIIMS
Dr J.S. Titiyal, chairperson of the National Eye said around 1,400 corneas are being donated each year since the past five years.
New Delhi: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has collected more than 1,600 donor corneas in 2016-17, which is the highest in the past 50 years. With this, a record 1,090 cornea transplant surgeries were performed so far, said doctors at the AIIMS, adding that there is a shortage of quality corneas.
“We frequently do not get A grade, clean corneas. As of now, there are around 700 patients waiting for surgery at this moment at AIIMS. We are trying out level best to maximise usage of donated corneas, but quality remains an acute problem,” said Dr Atul Kumar, chief, R.P. Centre for Opthalmic Sciences, AIIMS.
Meanwhile, Dr Jeewan S Titiyal, chairperson of the National Eye informed that around 1,400 corneas are being donated each year since the past five years. However, the number rose to 1,614 last year, the highest in 50 years.
“We have also performed 1,090 corneal transplants. This was possible due to our ongoing hospital cornea retrieval programme that has encompassed collection from major hospitals in Delhi such as ESI Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Ram Manohar Lohia Hosiptal, Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital,and DDU Hospital. The programme is now contributing to 60 per cent of our total donor cornea collection,” he said.
The National Eye Bank, housed in the Dr R.P. Centre, has completed 51 years and has so fare performed more than 17,000 corneal transplants surgeries.
As part of the National Eye Donation Fortnight, August 25 to September 8, the apex hospital also launched an online pledging system under which people can pledge towards donating their eyes online. “This will simplify the pledging formalities and make it convenient for one and all,” said Dr Titiyal.
An online death notification system has also been initiated at the AIIMS, which, according to the central hospital, has decreased the critical interval between death and tissue retrieval by assuring timely approach by the eye donation counsellor and technician to donor families.
