Eye bank at AIIMS-Patna inaugurated

Patna: The eye bank at AIIMS-Patna was formally inaugurated on Monday. After the inauguration, executive director-cum-chief executive officer Prof (Brig) Dr Raju Agarwal, medical superintendent Prof (Dr) Anup Kumar and dean (students affairs) Prof (Dr) Ruchi Sinha set an example by filling in the pledge forms for eye donation.Prof (Dr) Amit Raj, head of department of ophthalmology and in-charge of the eye bank, emphasised the need to eradicate corneal blindness. He underlined the importance of public awareness, community participation and voluntary eye donation, and called upon all stakeholders to unite in promoting corneal donation.Dr Pravin Krishna Vaddavalli, director of the Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institute at LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, highlighted recent advancements in eye banking. He spoke about modern corneal preservation techniques and the integration of technology to enhance the efficiency and outreach of corneal transplantation services across India.Medical superintendent Prof (Dr) Anup Kumar appreciated the efforts of the department in establishing the eye bank. Prof (Brig) Dr Raju Agarwal reiterated AIIMS-Patna’s commitment to promoting eye donation and strengthening ophthalmic services in the region. He said the institute would extend all possible support to expand its eye bank services further.Dr Divya Kesarwani, Dr Sony Sinha, Prof (Dr) Tibhuwan Kumar, Prof (Dr) Sanjay Kumar Pandey and Prof (Dr) Kranti Bhavana also addressed the audience. Prof (Dr) Nageshwar Sharma, head of department of ophthalmology, Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH), Prof (Dr) Sudhir Kumar, Dr Sunil Singh, Dr Nagendra Prasad, Dr Ravi Ranjan, Dr Ajeet Poddar and Dr Ajeet Dwivedi of Rajendra Nagar Eye Hospital were also present on the occasion.