Chennai, 3rd September 2022: Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, Chennai organized a Human chain to raise awareness for Eye donation as a part of National Eye donation fortnight 2022, today in Edward Elliot’s Beach, Chennai. The National Eye Donation Fortnight is observed every year from 25th August to 8th September. The Human chain was started by Thiru P. Mahendran, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Adyar, and presided over by Dr. Preethi, Senior Ophthalmologist, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals.
Huge participation of more than 200 members belonging to different age groups comprising College students, Doctors & staff of Dr. Agarwal Eye Hospital, and the general public held placards and participated in the human chain which created a mass public awareness about the importance of Eye donation and generated Eye donation pledges.
Thiru P. Mahendran, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Adyar, said, “Blindness is one of the major public health problems faced in India. Our eyes can continue to live on even after death if we donate our eyes. Hence, on this National Eye Donation Fortnight, let us pledge to give the gift of sight and give a chance to the visually impaired people to experience the delights of our beautiful world.”
Dr. Preethi, Senior Ophthalmologist, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals said, “Even though one eye donation can give sight to two corneal blind persons, there is a huge gap between demand and supply of the eyes. National Eye Donation fortnight is observed at all our Dr. Agarwal’s Group of Eye Hospitals, campaigning to bring the masses on a common platform to understand the importance of Eye donation”
“According to the National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB), one-third of the world’s visually challenged population is from India accounting for 12 million individuals with visual impairment and corneal diseases are the major causes of blindness after cataracts and glaucoma. According to the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey 2019, Corneal blindness is the major cause of blindness in patients aged less than 50 years, accounting for 37.5 % of cases and the second most important cause among patients aged more than 50 years. Majority of cases, corneal blindness can be corrected through eye donation. According to a global survey on eye banking and corneal transplantation, for every 70 corneal recipients worldwide only One donor cornea is available. This emphasizes that there is a huge demand for donor cornea” Dr. Preethi added.
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