Donate eyes call marks Fortnight observance
Source: Chronicle News Service

Senapati, September 06 2021: The '36th National Eye Donation Fortnight, 2021 cum Awareness Program' was observed at the Conference Hall of District Hospital, Senapati under the theme "Enlighten someone's world, donate your eye".

The event was organised by National Program for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCB & VI), Senapati district, National Health Mission.

The programme was held with Dr Pfokreho Pfoze, CMO/director, District Health Society, Senapati as chief guest and Dr M Sokha, medical superintendent, District Hospital, Senapati as president while Dr Vikram Singh Khoisnam, SNO, NPCB & VI and Dr L Rita Chanu, ophthal mologist, District Hospital, Senapati attended as resource persons.

In her keynote address, Dr Y Jennifer Nane, DNO, NPCB & VI, Senapati, stated that the observance is being held from August 25 to September 8 every year across the country.

This campaign was inaugurated in 1985 by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

The 15-day event is organised with an aim to spread awareness about the importance of eye donation to the public and also to motivate the public to pledge to donate their eyes after death which can give sight to corneal blind persons.

According to WHO, corneal blindness is a major cause of blindness next to cataract and glaucoma.

About 5% of the world population is blind due to corneal disease, the doctor added.

Dr M Sokha, medical superintendent District Hospital, Senapati, informed that the district hospital is planning to open eye care unit with operation theatre and ward very soon.

Chief guest Dr Pfokreho Pfoze, CMO, Senapati, expressed his happiness to introduce such facilities for donating transparent cornea which is the exterior part, an extension part of the brain.

He said that the fragile part of the cornea can be damaged easily if proper care is not taken.

Some patients are very unfortunate as light has never entered their bodies.

However, with improvement of technologies, it is now possible to give sight to a blind person if somebody can do nate cornea, he added.

It is said that a cornea could give sight to 3 people who do not have sight.

In order to help a blind person, one can donate his/her eye, cornea, only after they die.

The observance of National Eye Donation Fortnight is being held for the first time in Senapati district.

The district is reported to have 2 eye specialists and 1 senior ophthalmic assistant at present.

Dr Vikram Singh Khoisnam, SNO, NPCB & VI and Dr L Rita Chanu, ophthalmologist, District Hospital, Senapati also spoke on the occasion.

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