Adilabad: Online registration helps eye donation

Adilabad: The voluntary eye donation activity has got a boost with the online registration services provided by the eye banks and other organisations involved in promotion of eye donation. Eye banks are registering an increased number of online eye donations.

Earlier interested people had to register their names for eye donation only with the blindness control societies but now people no longer need to come to the hospitals and can opt for online registration.

People are becoming aware of importance of donating organs with the publicity in the media and people especially youth are coming forward to donate their eyes after their death. Appeals for the same made by celebrities like Aishwarya Rai have had a positive effect. The actress is a role model for thousands of fans across the world and anything she endorses is taken very seriously.

Youth organisations are actively participating in the campaign for voluntary eye donation conducted every year by district blindness society from August 25 to September 8.

District Blindness Control Society, programme manager Dr R. Cham has reported an increase in registration. People also register their names online with the eye hospitals which have their own eye banks such as LV Prasad, Sarojini Devi, Chiranjeevi and Pushpagiri in Hyderabad. However there is only one eye bank that is Regional Eye hospital in Warangal where eye storage facilities are available. In other places, officials concerned have just registered the names of the interested persons who were willing to donate their eyes after their death with the consent of their family members in other districts in north Telangana.

Ophthalmic officer Jadi Lingesh said they have registered 179 names of the people who came forward to donate their eyes last year and opined that it would be good if an eye bank is established in the Adilabad district so that they can store the donated eyes and use them for needy people instead all the time rushing to Hyderabad. More than 100 anganwadi workers have come forward recently to donate their eyes and registered their names in the Adilabad town.

Domakonda tops in organ donation
Setting aside old traditions, families and individuals are coming forward for organ donation. A few persons gave consent for organ donation (body) after death instead of conducting last rites. They voluntarily gave written consent to the Government Medical College in Nizamabad for body donation after death.

Few villagers in Balkonda mandal came forward for organ donation as they approached Chennai based Mohan Foundation in this regard. They are getting in touch with the Foundation representatives for awareness programmes too. Members of youth clubs are taking initiative to create awareness on organ donation. In Nizambad, like-minded people formed a group and gave their consent for body donation after death to the Government Medical College in Nizamabad.

A state government employee said on condition of anonymity that he gave consent for organ donation.

“Actually, our family members raised objection on this, but I convinced them on the real benefit to those who need it,” he explained. Replying to a question, he said that they periodically conduct meetings in Nizamabad and discuss organ donation.

In a recent incident, software engineer Madhuri Lakshmi, 23, of Kamareddy sustained serious injuries in Bhiknoor mandal on NH-44 on July 25 in a road accident. While undergoing treatment at Hyderabad doctors declared her as brain dead on August 1. The family members donated her organs. Meanwhile, Domakonda mandal in the district is getting well known for eye donation in the state as maximum number of people gave consent for eye donation.

Telangana government seeks NGOs’ aid

Collector Neetu Prasad said that the government would take help from non-governmental organisations and other bodies that are working in the field of organ donation for creating awareness among public over donation of organs. She was speaking at a programme on organ donation held by Apollo Reach Hospitals in association with Jeevandan on the eve of the National Organ Donation Day observed on August 6, here on Wednesday.

Dr P. Babu Rao, administration officer and Dr A. Naresh Kumar, medical superintendent of the hospital among others were present. Ms Neetu Prasad, the chief guest, stated that there was a need to chalk out action plan to increase awareness on the organ donation among public. In order to accomplish this, the government is ready to take help from organisations and bodies that are associated with the arena, she explained. Karim-nagar has legacy of donating corneas and blood.