It is August 13 again, the World Organ Donation Day. This day is observed all around the world to spread awareness on the most affordable give back to the society, ‘Organ Donation’. Organ donation is one of the most discussed topics globally and the world population displays high interest towards organ donation.
Let that be like that, we can now just look into the situation of India. India’s current population is 1.3 billion which still leave us the world’s second most populated country. Now we can look over to another statistics, the blind population of India. Of the total 35 million blind population of the world, 15 million is the citizens of India. India is the country with the largest blind population in the world. 75% of these cases are avoidable blindness; do you know why still we can’t avoid it? We don’t have a proper replacement for those eyes. India despite being a nation with this enormous population is still not able to curb this serious issue. The lack of ophthalmologists is one reason behind this situation, but the serious reason the lack of donated eyes.
26% of the total blind population of our country is children who suffer from corneal diseases. Only 10000 corneal transplants occur yearly due to the lack of proper donations. Isn’t this a matter to ponder upon? Why can’t we donate our eyes?
We all are aware that eventually, we will be trapped by death. Needless to say that after we die, our eyes are of no use. Then why can’t we donate them to people who may be able to witness this beautiful world with them?
As we know, organ donation is not just limited to eyes. Organs, that can be donated, include kidney, heart, liver, pancreas and small bowel. It is said that an organ donator can influence the life of 8 people and an eye donor can impact the life of around 50 people. This means a fully donated body can impact the life of 58 people.
Let me put it simply. If your eyes are able to give sight to a child, he may become a scientist or a doctor or an entrepreneur some day, who probably will impact the growth and development of our society and the nation. If the heart receiver is a bread winner of a poor family, he would be able to take a better job and help his family and maybe his children will also become an asset of our nation. If it is a senior citizen who was blinded for years, he would be able to enjoy the natural beauty of this world before he dies. Most of all, they would be able to see their loved ones, which otherwise they could have never imagined.
You can donate your organs online through Mohan Foundation, Donate Organs Save Lives. You can donate your eyes through E.B.A.I. Also, you can consult your nearest eye bank/ organ donation center for personal registration.