Dimapur observes eye donation fortnight

DIMAPUR — Commemorating the 38th national fortnight on eye donation from August 25 to September 8, the Dimapur district National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) held an awareness programme on eye donation at Police Colony, Dimapur, on August 26.

An update from the office of the chief medical officer (CMO), Dimapur, stated that the programme was organised during a combined fellowship service, a combination of seven different fellowships.

During the programme, Dr. Asonla Aying, NPCB district nodal officer, highlighted the main objective of the fortnight programme, which is to reduce blindness prevalence from 1.4% to 0.3%. She stated that eye donation could help in achieving the NPCB’s objective to reduce blindness in the country.

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She stated that there has been progress in eye donation over the last few years. She, however, stated that there is still a huge gap between the demand and the donation.

Dr. Aying also highlighted that through the observation of eye donation fortnight, the programme aims to create awareness of the importance of eye donation and also debunk various myths and misinformation related to eye donation. She sensitised on the procedure of removing the cornea and stressed that there is no disfigurement on the face during the removal.

She further stated that though a person might have pledged his/her eye after death, the consent of the family members would be taken before the procedure. She added that even without an eye donation pledge, the family members could pledge for an eye donation after a person dies. She informed that the corneas must be removed within 4-6 hours after death to maintain their viability for transplantation.

It stated that the fellowship members have assured to lend their support during the campaign by further spreading awareness on the importance of eye donation.

The report further stated that similar awareness on the importance of eye donation would be carried out during the fortnight.

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