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IMPHAL — In a first, a team of Manipur government doctors conducted cornea transplant surgeries (Eye transplant surgery) free of cost at a government facility on Thursday, said officials.
The surgery was conducted by Dr. N Reagan, Director in-charge of State Eye Bank, Directorate of Health Services; Dr. T Arun, Nodal Officer of Eye Ball Collection (JNIMS); and Dr. Vikram Khoisnam, State Nodal Officer (National Programme for Control of Blindness-NPCB), along with the NPCB staff at the newly-opened Manipur State Eye Bank at the State Ophthalmic Cell in Lamphel, Imphal.
The surgeries were conducted on a 50-year-old man from Langjing Achouba, Imphal West district (optical keratoplasty) and 78-year-old woman from Jessami, Ukhrul.
In case of the male patient, it was an optical keratoplasty surgery, while it was a therapeutic keratoplasty for the other, said to Dr Vikram Khoisnam.
The most common causes of blindness after cataract issue are cornea and glaucoma in the country.
It may be mentioned that the State Eye Bank was set up under the NPCB and Visual Impairment, National Health Mission and Directorate of Health Services, Manipur, on November 30 last year. It is the fourth eye bank in Northeast after Assam, Tripura and Mizoram.
Confirming the development, Dr, Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang, Director of Health Services Manipur stated, “We are pleased to announce that state has successfully conducted its first cornea transplant surgery (eye transplant surgery) in the state ophthalmic cell Lamphel, Directorate of Health Services free of cost.”
“With the establishment of the state of art state eye bank as well as with the availability of trained eye surgeons in the state, the department will continue to prefer such kind of surgery in future free of cost,” added Director Dr. Sasheekumar, while requesting the public to help others see by coming forward to donate eyes.
MOHAN Foundation, a not-for-profit NGO which aims at ensuring that individuals suffering from end stage organ failure are provided with the 'gift of life’ through a life-saving organ, also plays a key role in conducting such surgeries in the state.