Awareness can Increase Eye Donation, Hundreds of Lives may well Be Brightened: Dr Renu Dhasmana

Published on: August 29, 2024

Awareness can Increase Eye Donation, Hundreds of Lives may well Be Brightened: Dr. Renu Dhasmana

Himalayan Hospital Jollygrant is running a campaign to raise awareness about eye donation

National Eye Donation Fortnight is being celebrated at Himalayan Hospital Jollygrant

Himalayan Hospital Jollygrant is running a campaign to raise awareness about eye donation. Under the National Eye Donation Fortnight, various activities are being conducted to make people aware of the importance of eye donation.

Dr. Renu Dhasmana, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Himalayan Hospital Jollygrant, mentioned that in India, around 6.8 million people are affected by corneal blindness in at least one eye. Out of these, 1 million people are blind in both eyes. Highlighting the significance of eye donation as a service to humanity, Dr. Renu Dhasmana appealed to people to make eye donation a family tradition.

Dr. Sukriti Upadhyay, the in-charge of the Eye Bank at Himalayan Hospital, and senior ophthalmologist Dr. Harsh Bahadur stated that one person can brighten the lives of two visually impaired individuals. On this occasion, optometry students performed a play to inform people coming to the hospital’s OPD about the importance of eye donation and to dispel any related myths.

During this period, Dr. Chhavi Garg, Neelam, Kavita, and Ashish Kumar also motivated people to donate their eyes.

Contact for Eye Donation: Himalayan Hospital has a registered eye bank in Uttarakhand. Interested individuals can contact the hospital at +91-8194009630 or the phone numbers +91-135-2471440, 355.

Instructions for Eye Donation: Eyes should be taken within six hours after death. The eye bank team visits the donor’s home, and this is a free service. The eyes of the deceased can only be taken with the consent of the family. Trained personnel collect the eye (cornea) using a sterile process. This does not leave any marks or deformities on the deceased’s face.

Who Can Donate Eyes: Any person of any age with a clear and healthy cornea, including those who wear glasses, suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, or have had cataract surgery.

Instructions for the Deceased’s Family: Turn off fans, and if there is an air conditioner or cooler in the house, keep it on. Place wet cotton with ice over the closed eyes. Raise the head with a pillow to keep the tissue moist. Donated eyes are never bought or sold.

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International Endowed Chair Professor

Prof Rakesh Kumar

Prof Rakesh Kumar is the Founder and President of the Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation (USA), dedicated to vaddressing the distinct issues affecting young women with breast cancer. He also serves as the International Endowed Chair Professor at the Cancer Research Institute of the Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences. Additionally, he holds adjunct professorships at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Dr Kumar earned his Ph.D. from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 1984 and began his research career at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in January 1986. From 1988 to 2017, he held various academic and leadership positions —including faculty member, tenured professor, distinguished professor, endowed chair, department chair, and research leader—at esteemed institutions such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. From 2017 to 2022, he served as the National Chair for Cancer Research for the Government of India and as a distinguished professor, continuing his innovative work in breast cancer research.

With nearly 40 years of research and professional experience, Dr. Kumar has made conceptual contributions to the field of cancer research (h-index 108, citations >50,000). He has authored over 325 peer-reviewed publications, edited or co-edited nine books, and delivered 290 invited lectures worldwide. His work has been featured on the covers of 18 major cancer journals and has been highlighted in institutional research reports of the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

A passionate educator and mentor, Dr. Kumar has guided 67 trainees throughout his career. He serves on the editorial boards of multiple leading cancer journals and has served on the editorial boards of 21 top cancer journals. His global reputation is further demonstrated by his participation in about 100 peer-review panels for cancer research funding in the US and internationally over the past 28 years.

Dr. Kumar's innovative research has earned him numerous prestigious honors, including the Hinkle Society Faculty Award at Penn State University (1994), the Dalla/Fort Worth Living Legend Faculty Achievement Award in Basic Sciences (2004), the Ranbaxy Research Award (2006), and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Indian Scientists in Cancer Research (2013), among others. Dr. Kumar's pioneering research continues to have a profound influence on the fields of oncology and breast cancer, opening up new opportunities for biomedical scientists and trainees worldwide.