O.P. Sharma
Jammu and Kashmir is perhaps the only state in the country without any Eye Bank with the result that the major efforts at effectively tackling Corneal Opacity, blindness do not bear any result.
The 27th National Eye Donation Fortnight is being observed from August 25 to September 8, in this State as elsewhere across the country, making a strong plea for donating eyes for giving sight to the needy persons. But since there is no Eye Bank either in the Government Medical Colleges at Srinagar or Jammu, so the voluntary offer of eyes find no place where they can undertake this noble service of giving sight to the sightless.
Any person desiring to make declaration for donating his/her eyes after death for anybody cannot do so as the eyes of dead person have to be taken out within six to eight hours only. And when there is no bank in the entire State how can such missionary work be undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir where demand is on higher side.
It is a fact that the Government Medical College, Jammu did have a Eye Bank functional offering suitable facilities to the Corneal Opacity (blind person) quite some years back. It may be recalled that some eyes were also transplanted at GMC, Jammu. But due to lack of sufficient legal framework and lack of some infrastructure back-up, this bank became dysfunctional. But the Government took no steps whatsoever to re-start the Eye Bank either at GMC, Jammu or Srinagar.
Public Demand
In view of the urgent public demand for setting up of Eye Banks in Jammu and Kashmir State, as elsewhere in the country for providing facilities to the donors to donate their eyes for giving ‘light’ to the sightless. While Human Organs Transplantation Act was passed in the country envisaging transplantation of human organs, including eyes, in a recognized and registered medical institution by competent eye specialists.
Since the State Government did not enact such a legislation, Eye Banks could not be opened or made operational in Jammu and Kashmir—not even in the Government Medical Colleges of Jammu or Srinagar. So a serious problem is facing the people.
Ram Dass Dubey, general secretary of the J&K branch of National Blind Federation strongly pleaded for immediately opening the Eye Banks in Jammu and Kashmir for tackling the problem of the sightless persons in this part of the country. Abdul Rahim, 62 years of age, lamented that he wanted to donate his eyes for the noble cause of the blind but he could not do so in absence of a Eye Bank facility in the State. He demanded suitable arrangements for donors to serve the society.
Make Facility Available
Shakeela Bano, a house wife in her 40s in Srinagar, expressed her keen desire to do some noble welfare work by donating her eyes for the needy blind persons . She said ” even after my death, my eyes will continue to live on and see the world through someone’s sight. I think it will be a great service to the humanity. If the enlightened persons donate their eyes, they will serve the humanity. Urging the Government for upgrading facilities for the persons with vision impairment, Tarlok Singh, a school teacher from Jammu city, was also eager to register for donation of his eyes in the cause of blind people. Shakti Gupta, a college student also made a case for immediate opening of Eye Banks in Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh.
There are, according to official figures nearly 1.2 lakh persons with Corneal Opacity in the country and quite a sizeable numbers are in Jammu and Kashmir as well who need immediate attention and medicare.
While the Central and the State Governments have been making concerted endeavors at providing upgraded medical services but the lack of Eye Bank facilities hamper the efforts of popularizing eye donation as a family tradition in this part of this country. So the State Government must take up this matter on priority basis.
Missionary Work
First of all, the State Government must come up with a suitable law governing the transplantation of eyes in a registered medical institution by the top Ophthalmologist in Jammu and Kashmir. Secondly, a decision to start Eye Banks in GMC, Srinagar and Jammu, be taken and later take this facility to other important places in the State.
Thirdly, the State Government should depute young and bright Ophthalmologist and some other staff for advanced course in Eye Bank management and operational aspects at some top medical institution in the country. Fourthly, when the Eye Banks are in place and become operational, the Government must carry on a vigorous eye donation campaign in Jammu and Kashmir. Various public awareness programmes can be launched by all agencies – officials, private sector and NGOs for meeting the curse of Corneal Opacity blindness in this State as well.
The Chief Minister, Omar Abdulah and the Minister for Medical Education, RS Chib should immediately turn their “eye” towards the serious problem of tackling Corneal Opacity blindness by immediately opening Eye Banks in Jammu and Kashmir like other parts of the country.
In addition, all-out efforts must be put in by the Central and State Governments to squarely face the challenge of blindness and other eye ailments to make the society healthy and happy.
(Starline Syndicate Service)
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