Amaravati, Aug 24 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Monday said awareness about eye donation was gradually increasing in the state but there was still a need to expand it on a much larger scale, noting that 13,803 corneas had been collected in the last three financial years.
Releasing an awareness pamphlet at the Health Department headquarters in Mangalagiri as part of the 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight, he said eye donation could restore sight to people suffering from cornea-related blindness and urged for voluntary donation of eyes.
“Eye donation can restore sight to people suffering from cornea-related blindness, and greater awareness is needed to encourage more people to come forward voluntarily,” Yadav said in an official press release.
A total of 18,400 corneas were collected in the state during the five-year period from 2019-20 to 2023-24, while 13,803 were collected in just three financial years from 2024-25 to July of 2026-27, accounting for 75 percent of the previous five-year collection.
The number is expected to increase further by the end of the current financial year, officials said.
Year-wise, 5,039 corneas were collected in 2023-24, which increased to 6,112 in 2024-25, registering a growth of 21.3 percent with 1,073 additional corneas collected. A total of 5,872 corneas were collected in 2025-26 and 1,819 had been collected up to July in 2026-27.
Yadav said advanced equipment required for setting up eye banks at regional eye hospitals in Kurnool and Visakhapatnam were being procured at a cost of Rs 80 lakh, adding that the facilities would enable preservation of collected corneas and their transplantation for those in need.
Cornea collection is currently being carried out across the state in coordination with government and private medical institutions, with corneas collected mainly from people who die of various illnesses at government teaching hospitals after obtaining consent from their family members.
LV Prasad, Shankar and Pushpagiri eye hospitals, which have agreements with the state Medical and Health Department, are supporting the collection process.
Cornea collection is being carried out with the support of private eye hospitals that have agreements with the state Medical and Health Department, officials said.
Yadav said the service was currently being carried out with the support of private hospitals, while advanced equipment was being provided at the regional eye hospitals in Kurnool and Visakhapatnam to make the service available through government facilities as well.
The 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight will be held in 28 districts from August 25 to September 8, with the main focus on dispelling misconceptions and creating scientific awareness about eye donation.
Awareness programmes will include pledges, rallies and seminars, besides programmes in schools and colleges. Essay-writing and quiz competitions will also be organised for students.
A wider campaign will be conducted with the participation of ophthalmologists, eye banks, voluntary organisations, medical personnel and educational institutions.
The minister appreciated families who agreed to donate the eyes of their loved ones despite the grief of losing them and said their humanitarian outlook would inspire others. PTI MS SA
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