More discussion needed at family level: speakers
There should be frank discussions at the family level, alongside various programmes, to raise awareness about posthumous eye donation, speakers at a discussion said yesterday. Many people express the wish to donate organs, but do not go through with it due to opposition from families, they said.
The seminar on eye donation was organised by the Cornea Department of Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital (IIEI&H) at the hospital’s auditorium in the capital’s Farmgate.
IIEI&H Cornea and Anterior Segment Consultant Prof Sarwar Alam said there are some socio-cultural obstacles in the process of finding organs for ailing patients, which should be eliminated through discussions and awareness programmes.
Around 1.4 million people in Bangladesh are suffering from different kinds of blindness, which is almost one percent of the population, he added.
In a presentation, head of the Ispahani Eye Bank and Consultant of Cornea and Anterior Segment Dr Mohammed Rashed Alam said since 2010, doctors at IIEI&H have transplanted 1,667 corneas.
Of them, the hospital received only 419 corneas from donors in the country, while the rest came from eye banks in different countries -- 1,390 from US-based Vision Share, 311 from Nepal Eye Bank and 10 from Sri Lanka.
Besides, some 4,500 donor forms were distributed among potential eye donors, of whom some 3,269 patients have registered with the hospital for cornea transplantation.
Chairing the seminar, IIEI&H Chief Executive Officer Mridul Kumar Sarkar said, “Efforts to encourage people to donate their eyes after death should continue, and I offer heartiest congratulations to the hospital for doing so.”
Among others, IIEI&H Director (Medical Affairs) Dr Mostafizur Rahman, and Ispahani Eye Bank Manager Md Musa Mansury were also present.
A total of 26 people yesterday registered to donate their cornea after death.
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