However, hospitals here report that very few people or their relatives are actually interested in giving ´new life´ to the visually impaired. [break]
According to Lumbini Rana of Ambika Eye Hospital in Bhairahawa, more than one thousand people are currently waiting for retinal transplant. However, the number of people willing to donate their eyes after death is appallingly low.
“What makes matters worse is the fact that it is difficult to get the corneas out of even those who have agreed to donate due to the lack of cooperation by their families and relatives,” said Vijay Karki, a counselor at the eye bank of the hospital.
So far, 2000 people have wanted to donate eyes after death. However, in practicality, very few among them happen to donate it.
According to him, last year alone there was a need of 500 corneas in Bhairahawa, but only 32 corneas could be collected. “Altogether 85 corneas collected from this region and Tilganga Hosptial have been transplanted so far this year,” he added.
According to Karki, the relatives of a deceased are not in a mood to let the corneas be taken out immediately after the death of their kin. “The cornea has to be taken out within 6 hours of death, but that is also the period when the relatives are mourning,” he said.
The donation of eyes is also discouraged by a misunderstanding among masses that the whole eyeball has to be taken out. “Generally people do not know that only the cornea is taken out,” Karki said.
Dr Kavita Dhakwa of the same hospital asserted that eye donation could be encouraged through awareness campaigns.
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