In Imphal, Northeast gets its fourth eye bank

IMPHAL — Dr. Sapam Ranjan Singh, Minister of Health, Information and Public Relations in Manipur, inaugurated the fourth eye bank in Northeast India in Imphal on Wednesday. Assam, Tripura, and Mizoram have the first three eye banks in the region.

The Manipur State Eye Bank, which has all of the necessary facilities, is located in Imphal at the State Ophthalmic Cell, Lamphelpat.

Speaking on the occasion, Singh stated that the opening of the Eye Bank is a team effort and that it is critical to work with dedication and sincerity to combat blindness. He noted that the concept of donating an eye is interpreted very differently among laymen, who are quite apprehensive about the idea.

In this regard, specialists and ophthalmologists should make people aware that the donation is only a small/thin part of the eye called the cornea and that it will not be known that it is being taken out, he said, adding that if this awareness is instilled in the minds of the people, more and more people will pledge to donate their eyes, which will be beneficial to society.

The minister stated that he had already pledged to donate his eyes in 2018 and that everyone should come forward and donate eyes. Taking advantage of the presence of ophthalmologists, the minister also raised the issue of glaucoma, which is mostly detected at the last stage, and asked doctors and ophthalmologists to screen patients minutely for glaucoma detection.

Pradeep Kumar Jha, commissioner, Health and Family Welfare, stated that Manipur is the fourth state in the Northeast to open an eye bank and that it is a major achievement of the health department, despite the fact that some things need to be put in place.

He stated that awareness is very important in encouraging more and more people to pledge to donate their eyes, and that people must fight against public misconceptions about organ donation. He also mentioned that officials in all districts of the state should make people aware of the importance of donating organs.

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