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Give gift of sight as eye donation fortnight gets underway in Punjab from Aug 25
On the eve of the launch of the fortnight, Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh urged citizens to come forward to pledge their eyes for donation
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The 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight will be observed in Punjab from August 25 to September 8 to help bridge the shortage of corneal tissue for transplantation.
On the eve of the launch of the fortnight, Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh urged citizens to come forward to pledge their eyes for donation, stating that one donor can potentially help restore vision to two people with corneal blindness.
Himself an eye surgeon, the minister underlined the importance of eye donation: “Our eyes are the pivotal sensory organs, as up to 80% of all sensory impressions are registered through our sight.”
He said around 11 lakh people were suffering from corneal blindness in India and 25,000 new cases were being added annually. “More than 1 lakh corneal transplants are required in India, but only 25,000 are conducted annually,” he added.
State programme officer of the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment Dr Neeti Singla said the eyes can be pledged on the website https:///notto.abdm.gov.in/. After pledging, the pledge certificate can be downloaded from the website.
The state has a total of 13 registered eye banks and 20 registered corneal transplantation centres. A total of 1,041 corneal transplants (keratoplasty) were conducted in Punjab in 2025-26, while 351 such surgeries have been conducted successfully till July this year.
The health department said anyone can pledge their eyes irrespective of age, sex or blood group, subject to medical eligibility at the time of death.
The department said eye tissue should ideally be collected within six hours of death. Relatives of a deceased person who consented to eye donation should immediately contact the nearest eye bank or eye collection centre.
People with conditions such as diabetes and hypertension can also donate their eyes, subject to medical assessment. However, eye donation is not accepted in certain infectious or medical conditions, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B or C, sepsis, leukaemia, rabies, meningitis, encephalitis and tetanus.
The department advised those who pledge their eyes to inform their family members of their decision, as family consent was required for the donation to proceed after death.
Through the next two weeks, the health department will conduct intensified Information Education and Communication activities to educate the masses.
