National Eye Donation Fortnight 2019: History And Significance

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National Eye-Donation Fortnight starts from 25 August and continues till 8 September. It is celebrated every year. The objective of this day is to promote the act of eye donation.

Eye donation is considered a great act as it offers a vision to those who are deprived of normal eyesight. In order to create awareness in the people, various events are conducted during this fortnight in various places of India.

This drive was started by the Indian government to promote the idea of eye donation among people. The Ministry of Health of India shared a tweet where they wrote- "Donated human eyes help preserve & restore sight through corneal transplantation. Lend a hand to the cause, pledge #EyeDonation."

Donated human eyes help preserve & restore sight through corneal transplantation. Lend a hand to the cause, pledge #EyeDonation. #NationalEyeDonationFortnight@PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey pic.twitter.com/5jGoPQTiSK

— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) August 26, 2019

In another tweet, it was mentioned- "Loss of sight due to corneal blindness can be cured through #EyeDonation. The cornea of the donor after his/her death can be surgically transplanted to the patient."

Loss of sight due to corneal blindness can be cured through #EyeDonation. The cornea of the donor after his/her death can be surgically transplanted to the patient. For more: https://t.co/Mi2wHmECai#NationalEyeDonationFortnight@PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey pic.twitter.com/RooDo52mIq

— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) August 25, 2019

This tweet was partly pictorial as well and the ministry mentioned that "1.2 lakhs corneally blind people and many more with visual impairment due to corneal diseases require cornea for transplantation in the country."

"Approximately 20,000 new cases get added every year. Majority of them are young" and that "Eyes must be retrieved within 4-6 hours of death."

But the problem is some people are sceptical about eye donation and at times the retrieved corneas from the eye donations are not stored properly and therefore, it cannot be used further.

There are many reasons why people are not willing to step forward when it comes to donating their eyes. It can be accidents, malnutrition or genital issues- but the problem is, the number of donors is limited and this is making it tough to control the blindness in the nation. This is the reason why National Eye-Donation Fortnight is being observed all over the nation.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.