Eye Donation

So you might have heard about eye donation during one time or the other. I hope you know that it is done to restore the sight of a corneal blind person.  To get acknowledged with the facts of eye donation, please read the FAQs at:http://thereceptor.blogspot.com/p/faqs.html

So now when you have apt information about it, let us continue with our clause.

The first cornea transplant was executed in 1905, and yet after a century we are not able to restore the eyesight of corneal blinds. It is not that we do not have the required infrastructure; it is all because we are not humane enough and most of us prefer getting our eyes burned or buried and not using them for a cause as noble as eye donation.

Although I call myself a city guy and an educated person, my knowledge about the subject was only enhanced during the NSS camp which was held in our university in January 2011.

I was enlightened by the person who gave the speech regarding eye donation during the camp. He was a famous doctor who had been associated with organ transplants since more than a decade. Another person worth mentioning is Mr. Agashe, whom I came to know by visiting his blog:
He has been working for generating awareness about the subject since 1981 and is an active member of EBAI.

Following is the email I sent to Mr. Agashe:
Respected Sir

 I came across your blog and read about your magnificent work towards spreading awareness for eye donation. I am a 3rd year college student and decided to donate my eyes when I attended a speech during NSS camp held at Punjabi University, Patiala. I believe that the only thing that convinced me to do so was complete knowledge about corneal transplant. Right after the completion of speech, I decided to read about it on internet. I also gave a revisal speech during the next day of camp, telling about the ways in which one could get a donor card.

 Yet, I am sorry to tell you that I have not been able to get a card for myself. My first try was by making a call to a number specified at the website about eye donation. The person who received the call asked me to text my details and told me that I will be contacted soon. Well, I haven’t received any such call yet. 

Next, when I was in Narinder Mohan Hospital (Mohan Nagar, Ghaziabad) recently, I again wished to pledge my eyes, and the weirdest thing was that the receptionist as well as the staff member looked at me as if I was an alien. Anyhow, they didn’t give me the donor card as they didn’t have any such facility there (Which is a shame, considering the need of hour). They gave me a telephone number which didn’t work out. Thus I decided to go online again and search for concerned places. I made a list of hospitals and eye banks who deal with eye donation. I decided to visit one of them before long.

 In the mean while, I tried filling up the online form at the website maintained by PGI hospital (http://eyebankpgi.org/pledge_form.html), Chandigarh. But the form never got submitted due to technical problems. (Some Email Sending Error was specified)

As of now, I have filled the form available at http://www.sgrh.com/organadded.aspx which I reached via the link provided at your blog.

The whole point of telling all this is that even when a person wants to donate, the system is not good enough. I agree that trying the wrong places is one of the reasons I am still deprived of a donor card. But I believe that we can surely make this better. And I want to play my role by spreading as much knowledge as I can. I have already convinced my parents for the donation which is a great achievement for me. (Even thought it was a piece of cake!)

With your widespread knowledge about this cause, can you please enlighten me with the facts that may help us get the donor card more easily?

Moreover, I was thinking about starting a campaign. And this can only be made possible, if we have the support of concerned authorities.

Looking forward

Regards

I finally got the donor card with the help of Mr. Agashe, following is a copy of it:

But the most important thing that I learnt during my exchange of emails with him was that getting the donor card is not enough. The real action is to be taken after the death of a person. If relatives of the deceased are not aware enough, then even if he/she had a donor card, the eye donation will never take place. Thus, it is more important to be aware and follow the proper instructions for when a death occurs. (Note that it is not necessary that the deceased has a donor card; you being the kin can give the permission for eye donation. Even if you are not a relative, you can convince the family members and call the nearest eye bank ASAP)

Another important thing to understand is that, even if there is emergency, the doctors cannot use the eyes of the deceased without the consent of his kin. So the bottom line is: Spreading awareness is the most important thing to do. If the people are aware and are supporting the cause, then only this motion can be successful.

To support the cause of Eye donation follow our blog: http://thereceptor.blogspot.com

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