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Sai Ram Tana ji

Such a nice initiative you have taken.

Sai-Ka-Aangan is involved in reinvigorating Spiritual as well as Social thoughts amongst it's members and this is a nice move in support to these lines.

Thanks a lot for starting this topic.

[size=12pt]I take a pledge to donate my eyes in the near future.

May Baba bless us to do so.

Om Sai Ram

Rajiv[/size]

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Gr8 Thought Tana Di.....

I would offer myself for this noble cause. Infact I would like ki after my death meri body se jo bhi part kisse ke kaam aa sake usse nikal liya jaaye(BodyBonate) taki kisse ko ROSHNI YAA ZINDAGI de saku.....

I request all the members in Sai-Ka-Aangan , whenever I die, Please tell my family members about this wish of mine, though they already know it, but at such times friends and relatives can remind them Because they are emotionally disturbed...

JAI SAI RAM

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Om Sai Ram!!!

Eye donations remain rare, amidst low awareness


Nearly 20 per cent of the world's blind are in India. Only donation of eyes after death can bring light into the lives of the needy.


Close your eyes and you will see my world.
- Poster of a blind girl child
As many as 2 million Indians are corneally blind. Every year, another 30,000 are added to this figure. Half of them can get their sight restored through corneal graft surgery. Against the annual demand for 100,000 corneas, only 16,000 are available. The only hope for the majority of victims lies in eye donations. But the tragedy of those waiting for eye donations is inexplicable. Points out G Ganesh, executive director, Eye Bank Association of India, Hyderabad: "The gap between the demand and supply is because there is such a low awareness about how easy and noble eye donations are."

Nothing can be nearer the truth. Ask Noorsaba, a grief counseller, who has been working for the last two years in Delhi to persuade families to let corneas be removed before funerals. When she first went about her job in April 2006, she backed out saying that this was not what she wanted to do as it was so emotionally wrenching. But slowly, she watched other grief counsellers persuade bereaved families on how they had a great opportunity of letting two people see if they agreed to the eye donation. Ever since, Noorsaba has been able to get 80 families to agree to the donation. But it is a very poor figure, she says repeatedly, stressing that most families just do not agree because of grief and also because of some myths.

One of the myths she has to contend with is that the person who donates his or her eyes would be born blind in the next birth. Another view, held widely, is that as God has given this body, it should be returned in the same way to Him. And a third issue is this: If God has decided not to give eyes to someone, why should we try to overrule this by helping the blind see!! As a result of such hurdles, even many of those who have pledged their eyes upon their death are nonetheless cremated without donating them, as the relatives do not consent to this in that emotionally charged moment.

Low awareness

Dr. Radhika Tandon, Professor of Ophthalmology and officer-in-charge of the National Eye Bank at the Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Science, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, says that as eye donations are not seen favorably in India, there has to be an awareness campaign stressing that it is wonderful to donate eyes as it would help two blind people to see what the world looks like.



The cornea is the clear surface of the eye. Like a window, it allows light to enter the eye. Vision could be markedly reduced or lost if the cornea becomes 'cloudy' or scarred. This condition is known as corneal blindness. It occurs due to injuries caused by accidents, malnutrition, infection, chemical burns and congenital disorders. A majority of the cases of corneal blindness is in rural areas. This is mainly due to eye injuries caused during agricultural activity. Injuries also result from dangerous games like gulli-danda or from bursting firecrackers.

The sight of corneally blind can be restored through corneal transplantation. The only way to obtain this invaluable cornea is through donation. More than 90 per cent of corneal transplant operations successfully restore vision in people suffering from blindness due to corneal problems. Infants born with cloudy corneas can see clearly after transplantation.

Practically anyone can be an eye donor. Even poor eyesight and age don't rule out donors. One can bequeath one's eyes by taking a pledge to donate. However, it requires relatives and friends to ensure that this happens soon after death, usually within six hours. Spectacle users, persons who had cataract surgery, diabetics and hypertensives may also donate their eyes. The ultimate decision about usage for transplantation will be made after detailed evaluation. Next-of-kin can also consent to a donation if the deceased hasn't signed a pledge form.

Shortage of trained personnel

Making matters worse is a serious shortage of trained cornea surgeons, skilled eye bank managers, state-of-the-art cornea collection centres, slipshod transportation facilities, and more. Tragically, many corneas that are collected go unused, as there aren't sufficient numbers of corneal surgeons to transplant them. As against an estimated 500 cornea surgeons needed in India, there are only around a hundred, with an insufficient number of technicians to support them.

Many pledge their eyes, but after death, their families are reluctant in their moment of grief. They do not permit doctors to remove the eyes from the dead. That is why grief counselors are so important. They are trained to deal with the tender moment and persuade the families of those who have pledged their eyes to let it happen. Dr. Tandon points out that one way to overcome the shortage of counsellors is to motivate hospital staff themselves on the importance of eye donations, as these staff - and the necessary infrastructure - are easily available. Doctors and nurses can also motivate family members to agree to donations.

Corneas can be obtained either by a voluntary donation or through the Hospital Cornea Retrieval Programme. Under this programme, adopted by the eye banks, an eye donation counselor employed at a multi specialty hospital motivates the family of the deceased to donate the dead person's eyes. This method ensures that the quality of the cornea collected meets the standards of quality eye care. Even though this is an excellent strategy, the progamme is not sustainable, as it is a cost intensive exercise and calls for tremendous effort on the part of the eye banks. Adds Ganesh: "Only a focused approach where the community participates will help eye donations pick up."

What happens after eye donation?

1. The donor's family receives a certificate of appreciation from the eye bank.

2. The eyes are taken to the eye bank and evaluated by a trained eye bank staff.

3. Tests are carried out and the report is sent to the corneal surgeon.

4. The waiting list is referred and the recipient is called for corneal transplant. Corneal transplant is performed. Periodic follow-up of the recipient is done over time to ensure that the graft is successful




A survey of the Indian Council for Medical Research showed that cataract was majorly responsible for 55 per cent of total blindness. Another survey by the National Programme for Control of Blindness included cataract, refractive errors, corneal opacities, glaucoma, trachoma and vitamin A deficiency as the major causes for blindness. The solution, Dr. Tandon says, is to ensure that there is no Vitamin A deficiency - especially in young children - as it is one of the main causes of blindness.

Eye banks evaluate the donated corneas to certify if they are fit for transplantation. The corneas are then removed from the eyeball and preserved in special storage solutions that can keep them healthy for up to two weeks.

Poor collection

While there are several hundred eye banks throughout the country, it is estimated than only about a dozen of them account for one-half of the corneas collected. Indeed, some of the others are but collection centres with just a person trained to extract the whole eyeball and a refrigerator handy. However, these centres are registered as eye banks, which portrays an inflated picture of the eye banks in India. True eye banks call for high investments and as most lack the necessary infrastructure, they are unable to collect enough eyes.

Orbis, a non-profit, global development organisation dedicated to eliminate avoidable blindness by strengthening the capacity of local eye health partners, has been working in India for the last two decades. It augments collection of corneas and strengthens eye banks in India with training programmes for doctors, support staff and grief counsellers. Says Dr. G V Rao, its India Director, "Eye banking procedures are quality sensitive, and need adhering to international medical standards - careful assessment of donor tissue, quality cornea processing and storing, documentation, efficient cornea distribution and an effective network. ORBIS in India has been focusing on overall improvement in increase in cornea collection through regular awareness, quality eye banking management including human resource management."

If eye donations have to catch the public imagination, a lot has to be done in terms of creating better awareness. It's certainly do-able, feel experts, even in our developing context. As an example, right next door Sri Lanka has created awareness of doantions to the extent that giving one's eyes is widely seen as a noble activity. India is much further behind, and the efforts of the few organisations involved need to be supported and strengthened quite a bit. ?

Jai Sai Ram!!!

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Om Sai Ram!!!

Some frequently asked questions about eye donation

Who can be eye donors?

Any good-minded human being from the age of z year can be a donor without any maximum limit for donating the eye. All one needs to do is bequeath his or her eyes by taking a simple pledge to donate the eye after death. While taking a pledge during ones lifetime itself is a noble deed, it requires the support of the relatives or friends to carry out the wishes of eye donation of the deceased. They need to call up the Eye Bank immediately as the eye need to be removed within a maximum of six hours of death. People using spectacles, diabetes and hypertensives can make eye donation.

Can the next of kin consent to a donation if the deceased person has not signed an eye donation form?

Yes, the relatives of the deceased can decide on the eye donation of their beloved one.

How to make the eye donation?

The relatives of the deceased person can donate the eyes of their beloved ones immediately after the death. As explained already, the eyes need to be collected within six hours of death.

Please remember the following after making the call to the C U Shah Eye Bank at Sankara Nethralaya

* Keep both eyes of the beloved deceased closed and cover with moist cotton.

* Switch off the ceiling fan, if any, directly over the deceased person

* If possible, apply antibiotic eye drops periodically in the deceased’s eyes to reduce the chance of any infection.

* Raise the head of the deceased by about six inches, if possible, to reduce the chances of bleeding at the time of removal of the eyes

Who cannot donate their eyes?

Death due to unknown causes. Death due to infections caused viz. rabies, syphilis, infectious hepatitis, septicemia, and AIDS, cannot be a donor.

What is a cornea?

The cornea is the clear, transparent dome in front of the "black portion" of the eye. It is also the main focusing surface, which converges light rays as they enter the eye to focus on the retina. It is thus the most important part of the optical apparatus of the Eye. Loss of transparency directly results in loss of vision

How does a cornea become opaque?

* Infection

* Injuries

* Iatrogenic (Malpractice, Improper Post-op. care after any eye surgery)

* Malnutrition

* Congenital/Hereditary.

What is corneal transplantation?

A Corneal transplant is an operation that replaces the opaque cornea with a clear cornea obtained from a human donor.

Are there any religious conflicts in eye donation?

There are no religious conflicts on eye donation. Eye donation gives a gift of life or sight to others. As such, it is consistent with beliefs and attitudes of all major religious and ethical traditions.

Will eye donation cause delays in funeral arrangement?

No, Eye removal is performed within half an hour after death and leaves no disfiguring, that would interfere with common funeral practices.

Is the whole eye of the donor transplanted?

No, only the cornea is transplanted. However, the rest of the eye is used for research and education purposes.

Can a person who is blind due to retinal or optic nerve disease donate his eyes?

Yes, provided the cornea of the donor is clear.

Can a living person donate his eyes?

No, donation from living persons is not accepted.

Will the recipient be informed of the donor’s details?

No, the gift of sight is made anonymously.

Jai Sai Ram!!!

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OM SRI SAI RAM

Really its a gr8 idea...

I had also thought several times that when ever i will die i also wann to donate what ever possible.....

I think that throughout the world should start some incentive program for getting people to eye donation, so that all visually impaired people too can appreciate the God's beautiful world.


JAI SRI SAI RAM

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THE LIGHT OF SAI BABA SURROUNDS US~

THE LOVE OF SAI BABA ENFOLDS US~
THE POWER OF SAI BABA PROTECTS US~
THE PRESENCE OF SAI BABA WATCHES OVER US~
WHERE EVER WE ARE SAI BABA IS~~~

MAY BABA BLESS ALL OF US~~

OM SRI SAINATHAYA NAMAH:

It is a good idea to donate eyes. There should be awareness programmes conducted on a regular basis. People do not think that the eyes will be takenout at that stage when we ourselves cannot use it. The word"eye donation" itself creates fear in the minds of people.

One should think that we are giving light to a blind person. We are using our eyes for the entire span of our life cycle and when we ourself cannot use it, the same will be donated to others. It is like any other object being given to the needy. We cannot use it, let some else use it!!

sree..

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Sai Ram Tana ji

sai om....

"Sai-Ka-Aangan is involved in reinvigorating Spiritual as well as Social thoughts amongst it's members and this is a nice move in support to these lines."



YES we both also take a pledge to donate our eyes in future...we always wanted to donate our EYES...!!


May Baba bless us to do so.

Om Sai

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SAI RAM

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Today Sai has confirmed the end of your sufferings sorrows and pains. I knocked at heaven's door this morning, Sai asked me...My child! What can I do for you? And I said, Father, please protect and bless the person reading this message...Sai smiled and answered...Request granted...