In a unique initiative, Gurgaon Police and Y P Mahindru Niramaya Eye Bank officials are working on a proposal to retrieve corneas from unclaimed bodies and victims of road accidents with the consent of the relatives.
Currently, only Delhi and Maharashtra have the provision of collecting corneas from accidental victims.
"Gurgaon Police and Eye Bank officials will work in tandem to help the campaign of blindness eradication from society," said Mahindru Foundation Managing Trustee, Ashok Mahindru.
"An initiative like this can make a massive impact and will be a boon for the millions of curable blinds suffering in the country. If Gurgaon Police can make this happen, we can achieve the desired results much faster," said Chief Executive of Mahindru Foundation, Vishnu Bhargava.
Y P Mahindru Niramaya Eye Bank has so far harvested 1337 corneas and has conducted more than 400 cornea transplantation free of cost.
Members of the Eye Bank has requested the Commissioner to take immediate action on accidental deaths so that the Eye Bank can collect the corneas within 6 to 8 hours, with the consent of the deceased's relatives.
With India facing a huge crunch of eye donation to the tune of nearly 20 lakhs, the move can go a long way in narrowing the gap between the donors and those who are curable blinds with the total number of cornea transplantation standing at a meagre 35000 to 40000 last year.
