Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi, Aug.31: Jharkhand Governor, Ramesh Bais, and state health minister, Banna Gupta, today felicitated Rajshree and Dheeraj Gupta, from Madhya Pradesh, who donated the eyes of their 18-day old only child, Baby Aparajita.
The felicitation was done at a function organised by Eye Donation Awareness Club, Ranchi at Kashyap Memorial Eye Hospital, Ranchi, on the occasion of the 36th National Eye Donation Fortnight.
Governor Ramesh Bais, also felicitated Sailesh Kothari, Sadhna Jain and Narmada Devi Garodia, who had also donated the eyes of their deceased dear ones.
Banna Gupta felicitated the next of kin of Prabhat Kumar Tulsyan, Rashmi Maroo, Sharda Devi Lohia, Draupadi Devi Choudhary, Indra Devi Jain and Kamala Rani Bhatia on the occasion, who had also graciously donated the eyes of their deceased dear ones.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr.Bharti Kashyap, medical director, Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank, Ranchi, said that the first successful cornea transplant in the then unified Bihar-Jharkhand) was conducted by Dr.B.P.Kashyap, way back in 1995 from locally donated eyes of the Late Hari Prasad. Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank has been the first active eye bank in unified Bihar, which over the past 26 years, has undertaken 602 cornea transplants, lighting up the lives of the visually impaired, free of cost.
Records reveal that in India, 50,953 eyes were donated by the more enlightened families; between April 2019 and March 2020 of which the number of cornea transplant was a paltry 27,075. This means that around 50 percent of corneas were wasted. To prevent such wastages, it is important that all corneas donated be safeguarded and transplanted to light up the lives of the more needy, particularly the poor. Many eye banks in the country, do not possess the needed infrastructure to preserve corneas. There are many eye banks which are not linked to the national Eye Bank Cornea Distribution System with the result that some eye banks, with limited wait lists of visually impaired are in possession of more donated corneas vis a vis demand whilst on the other hand, eye banks with long waitlists, remain starved of corneas. Linkages of all the 109 eye banks of the country, would be a positive step towards the reduction of cornea wastages, Dr.Bharti Kashyap added.
“We are proud to announce the induction of Dr.Nidhi Gadkar Kashyap, FRCS (Glasgow), FICO, I.C.O. in our team, who over the past two years, has successfully performed cornea transplant using the latest state of the art technology and lighting up the lives of the poor and needy under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana,” she revealed.
Speaking on the occasion, the Governor stressed that all out efforts need to be made by all to encourage people and families to pledge their eyes and donate the eyes of their dear ones after their demise, so that sight could be restored to the growing numbers of visually impaired.
“Eighteen years ago, I had pledged my eyes on the occasion of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji’s birthday. I am being informed that there has now been a drastic drop in the number of people volunteering to pledge their eyes. There are many misgivings in the minds of people regarding eye donation. We need to rise above all these petty misgivings. The medical fraternity and enlightened citizens have an important role to play in raising public awareness,” the Governor stressed.
This world is so colourful, so beautiful. If one is forced to spend a long time in darkness and one day his sight is suddenly restored, his happiness would be unlimited, his joy cannot be described. Compare this situation with a man with normal sight. He takes sight for granted. But if he is forced to live in the dark for a long time and one day he suddenly emerges from his dark abode, the dazzling sunlight outside would instantaneously blind him, the Governor added.
“I am also being informed that many gifted corneas are going waste because of lack of proper coordination in the cornea distribution systems. I thank Dr.Bharti Kashyap and her team for undertaking 124 cornea transplants in Jharkhand even during Covid times. I also applaud her for felicitating eye donors which would set an example for all to come forward and sign the eye donation pledge,” the Governor stressed.
State Health Minister Banna Gupta too stressed that all needed steps would be taken by the state government to remove flaws in the cornea distribution system so that gifted corneas could be preserved and successfully used to restore the sight of the growing number of visually impaired in the country.
“With help from the state chief minister, we shall also take up this issue with the union government, in public interest. At least one and half crore people in this country are visually impaired. I am being informed that at least 75 percent of these cases could be fully cured. The state health department would do its utmost, the health minister stressed.
“I thank the mother of the 18-day old child for her daring act of gifting the eyes of her only child, who died recently, so that the lives of the visually impaired could be lighted up. This is the rarest of rare acts. She has set an example for all others to follow. I thank this sister of mine and salute her,” the health minister stressed.
“I am also thankful to Dr.Bharti Kashyap, Dr.B.P.Kashyap, her son Dr.Bibhuti Kashyap and daughter-in-law, Dr.Nidhi Kashyap of undertaking 120 cornea transplants in s year even during Covid times,” he added.
