Eye Bank in Delhi

What is an eye bank?

Eye banks are the institutions responsible for procuring, medically evaluating, and distributing corneas donated by deceased individuals. Donated eyes are used for corneal transplantation, research, and education purposes.

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What is corneal blindness?

The cornea is the clear tissue lens covering the front part of the eye and is responsible for almost 60% of our vision. There is a risk of loss of vision in the case of corneal diseases and opacities. If a treatment is not given on time it can lead to permanent corneal blindness.

Corneal Blindness Prevalence

Globally the number of people of all ages visually impaired is estimated to be 2.2 billion. Corneal blindness contributes to 4.2 million of these, which is a huge percentage of global blindness.
Corneal blindness implies, reduced or compromised vision due to the loss of transparency or distortion of the shape of the cornea while the retina and optic nerve functions being mostly healthy.

What Is The Need For The Eyes Donation?

Corneal blindness is treated by replacing the damaged cornea with a healthy donated human cornea. The human cornea is provided only through eye donation.
Though India has highly qualified surgeons and well-equipped hospitals, we do not have enough corneal donation to meet the demand and tackle the present burden of corneal blindness.

Eye Donation In India Is Easy

Eyes are donated soon after the demise of a person.

The entire eyeball isn’t removed but only the cornea, which leads to no disfigurement of the donor’s body.

The process is supervised by a registered medical practitioner who ensures proper process execution keeping the dignity of the donor in mind

No religion opposes eye donation in India

The entire process takes about twenty minutes

A single eye donation in India may help in providing the vision to two visually impaired individuals.

The act of eye donation in India is free of cost. To sell or buy human organs, eyes, and other human tissues is an illegal act and punishable by law

The donated eyes reach the people according to the list maintained by the eye banks in India

Pledge Your Eyes With Centre for Sight Eye Bank

We have joined the crusade against corneal blindness by setting up the Centre for Sight Eye Bank to encourage eye donations in India by bringing about a change in the mindset of the people. With the support of our patrons and patients, our eye banks in India seek to bring light into the lives of those who have corneal blindness. Our eye bank in Delhi is located in Preet Vihar.

Centre for Sight eye bank is registered under the Transplantation of Human Organ and Tissues Act (THOA), 1994.

We have 9 cornea transplant centres across the country.

Centre for Sight eye bank is a member of the Eye Bank Association of India (EBAI).

We have a helpline number on which anyone can contact us anytime, 8468004687.

We have a designated team of highly qualified and trained cornea surgeons, who successfully perform appreciable numbers of corneal transplants every year.

How can you pledge to donate the eyes?

The eye donation form is available in all major eye hospitals and eye banks in India.

The form is also available online on the official website of the Eye Bank Association of India (https://www.ebai.org/donator-registration/)

It is essential to inform your family members or legal representative about the decision. In such cases, a donor card can be provided to be used at the time of actual eye donation in India.

Eyes can be donated with the consent of the family members if the eye bank is informed after the demise of the donor.

Only corneal blind people can be benefited through this process. It is an act of charity, purely for the benefit of society and is voluntary.

When you pledge to donate your eyes, motivate others as well for donating their eyes so that a blind person can see the world through your eyes. The solution for eliminating corneal blindness lies in our hands. We have the power to give the “Gift of Sight” to the people. After all, eyesight is the greatest gift one can give or receive. It’s time for you to take the pledge and make someone’s life beautiful. Don’t think twice before registering as an eye donor! Eye donation is an act of donating one’s eyes after his/her demise. Our eye bank in Delhi and other centres await your arrival for this noble cause.

What happens after eye donation in India?

Eye bank in India acknowledges the donor’s family with a certificate of appreciation.

The medical team takes the collected eyes to the eye bank for the evaluation.

In the eye bank, various tests are performed to assess the quality of the donated tissue.

As per the waiting list, the recipients are contacted for a corneal transplant.

Corneal transplant is performed and followed up by a trained cornea surgeon.

Frequently Asked Questions


What is eye donation?

Eye donation refers to the process of pledging to donate one’s eyes after death. Donated eyes are used for corneal blind patients to restore their vision. It is a voluntary act done for the benefit of the society, which causes no harm to the sentiments and religious faiths of the deceased’s family. In the best possible scenario, donated eyes of one person can help to rebuild the vision of two individuals in need. Centre for Sight eye bank in Delhi is where you can register yourself for eye donation and provide the gift of sight to a person in need.

Who is eligible to donate eyes?

  • Eyes can be donated by anyone after death irrespective of age, sex, or blood group
  • People with short-sightedness, long-sightedness, astigmatism, and post-surgery like cataract are also eligible for an eye donation. The cornea is not affected by these eye problems.
  • Lifestyle diseases like diabetics, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and asthma which are not communicable still allow one to donate her/his eyes.
  • Diseases which make one ineligible to donate eyes are HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B & C, rabies, septicemia, acute leukaemia, tetanus, cholera, meningitis, or encephalitis.
  • In the present scenario, a person who dies after COVID19 (coronavirus) infection is not eligible for eye donation. This guideline is liable to change depending upon the results of ongoing researches.
  • Eyes unfit medically for the donation are utilized for medical research and studies.

How can you pledge to donate the eyes?

The process requires you to fill a form, available in all major eye hospitals and eye banks. The form is also available online on the official website of the Eye Bank Association of India. It is also important to inform your family members or legal representative about the decision. In such cases, a donor card can be provided to be used at the time of actual eye donation. Eyes can be donated with the consent of the family members if the eye bank is informed after the demise of the donor. Our eye banks in Delhi aim to bring light into the lives of people who have corneal blindness.

How does a cornea transplant restore sight?

The substitute of a cornea is another human cornea. Donating a healthy human cornea can bring light to someone’s life.

Why should I donate my eyes?

Donated eyes are preserved in eye banks. They are used for someone who requires a healthy cornea. Eye donation in Delhi is simple as Centre for Sight has its eye bank in the city to help you perform this act of charity.

Is the whole eye used for transplantation?

No, only the cornea is used for the transplantation. Centre for Sight is there for you if you decide for eye donation in Delhi.

Can I donate my eyes?

Yes, anyone can donate their eyes. People who wear eyeglasses or contact lenses can also donate their eyes since these conditions do not affect the cornea. Contact us if you want to donate your eyes, our eye bank in Delhi is there for corneal transplantation.

What happens if donated eyes are unsuitable for the transplant?

This happens rarely, but, if the donated eyes cannot be used for the transplantation, then it can be used for the research and education purposes.

How much time does the process of eye donation take?

The process of eye donation includes procuring a cornea of a deceased by trained personnel takes approximately 20-25 minutes. Centre for Sight eye bank in Delhi makes this process easy for you. Contact us if you wish to donate your eyes.

Does blood group matching is required?

No, blood group matching is not mandatory for a cornea transplant.

How successful is the corneal transplantation?

Over 95% of corneal transplantations successfully restore the recipients vision.

How does research and education benefit from eye donation?

Donated eyes help in research for a better understanding of the cause and effect of many eye-related diseases like Corneal dystrophies, other corneal pathologies, glaucoma and lifestyle diseases. Give us a call to know the process of eye donation in Delhi.

How are donated eyes used in restoring vision?

Eyes donated by one person provides the gift of vision to two blind persons, generally. However, nowadays, component surgery of the cornea uses just a layer of the cornea for transplantation, which allows one eye donation to restore the vision of many patients. Eye banks in India maintain a record of all the donated eyes and make sure all of them are used. Eyes fit for corneal transplant restores the vision and others are used for further research in the field.

What is corneal transplantation?

Corneal transplantation is a surgery that includes the replacement of the defective cornea with a healthy cornea received by the eye donation. Eye donation in Delhi is simple as many institutions help you do this act of charity and kindness. Centre for Sight is also one of the places for eye donation in Delhi.

How to make contact for eye donation in India?

The helpline number for eye banks in India is 1919, which is toll-free and available 24×7. It helps in eye donation as well as related information.

What precautions are to be taken by relatives?

  • Eyes of the deceased should be closed, or moist cotton can be placed over the eyes.
  • To reduce the bleeding during eye collection, raise the donor’s head about six inchespill
  • ff all the fa
  • Cover the deceased’s forehead with an ice pack or polythene filled with ice cub
  • To prevent eye infection, instil antibiotic eye drops at regular intervals
  • Notify the eye bank at the earliest.

What is the procedure of eye collection?

When the eye bank is informed about the demise of the donor, a team of an eye doctor, a grief counsellor, and trained staff is sent to the deceased’s place or a hospital. The team will take the written consent of the family before processing the request for donation. Also, questions about medical history are asked. With great efficiency and under strict aseptic precautions, eyes are collected in privacy, taking approximately 20 minutes. The affected area over the eyes is restored carefully.

What are the possible complications or disfigurement during eye collection?

There is temporary bleeding in the eye socket from where the eyes are collected if the whole eyeball is obtained. The medical team works with high precision; eyes are properly closed to save any disfigurement. There is another method where instead of the whole eyeball, only the cornea is procured, which is later replaced by a plastic cornea which causes no disfigurement.

What is the average time of transplanting the donated cornea?

The aim is to transplant procured corneal tissue as soon as possible after the assessment by an eye bank. Depending upon the method of the preservation, tissue can be transplanted safely up to a week.

How do I ensure that the donated eyes will be used as mentioned?

Eye donation is a legal act. All eye banks are registered and operate under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994. The government takes strict actions in case of any complaint against the eye bank.

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