SECF honoured during National Eye Donation Fortnight
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 07 2024: Shija Eye Care Foundation (SECF) was presented with a certificate of appreciation for its contributions to corneal transplants, during the National Eye Donation Fortnight held at Classic Grande, here, on Friday.

Shija Hospitals & Research Institute Pvt Ltd chairman and managing director Dr Palin Khundongbam received the accolade on behalf of SECF from the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCB & VI) under the National Health Mission.

SECF consultant ophthalmologist Dr Sachindra Laishram was also honoured as the first corneal transplant surgeon in Manipur, said Shija Hospitals in a press release issued on Saturday.

"Since establishing its corneal transplant programme in August 2016, SECF has successfully performed 130 transplants, including one from a deceased donor.

This achievement underscores the vital role of eye donation in restoring vision.

SECF collaborates closely with the Mohan Foundation to advance deceased eye donation programs, enhancing its impact," the hospital said.

As a leading eye care provider in the region, SECF serves Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam, and Myanmar.

Mentored by LAICO (Aravind Eye Care System, Madurai), SECF is equipped with state-of-the-art diagndstic facilities and offers a comprehensive range of eye care services.

These include corneal transplants, PHACO cataract surgery, retina LASER treatments, vitreo-retinal surgeries, squint surgery, oculoplas-ty, and glaucoma surgery.

With five full-time ophthalmologists, SECF is the first in Manipur to offer corneal transplants, marking a significant milestone in the state's healthcare.

The foundation is empanelled with NPCB (NHM), RBSK, CMHT, and PMJAY and partners with Mission for Vision to operate vision centres, according to the Shija Hospitals release.

SECF's commitment to community eye care is evident in its extensive outreach programmes.

To date, the foundation has conducted 570 camps, performed over 18,000 cataract surgeries, and reached more than 500 villages.

Its dedication has earned it accolades such as the GD Agarwal Gomabai Netralava Award 2023 and the GGP (Japan) grant, it further informed.

SECF then appealed to the community to consider eye donation, particularly corneal donation, saying, "This simple act can restore sight to those affected by corneal blindness.

SECF encourages individuals and families to pledge their eyes for donation and to spread awareness about the profound impact of eye donation" .

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