ISLAMABAD November, 2024 : On Wednesday, Al-Shifa Trust (AST) advocated a state-backed cornea donation campaign to decrease reliance on imports as more than 300,000 individuals are currently on transplant waiting lists.
Those awaiting transplants could be reintegrated as productive members of society in case we can have enough local donations, it said.
Talking to media representatives, AST President Maj Gen (Retired) Rehmat Khan stated that bridging the imbalance requires an awareness campaign, enabling local donations to assist needy individuals in becoming productive citizens.
A limited supply of corneal tissue can be attributed to several factors, including insufficient awareness, reluctance to donate, and demographic and systemic influences such as age, gender, education, cultural considerations, and the availability of surgeons and operating facilities, he informed.
He said that the global demand and supply situation is also unfavourable. Despite nearly 185,000 corneal transplants, approximately 12.7 million individuals remain on the waiting list for transplants. He added that estimates suggest that only 1 in 70 individuals requiring a transplant have access to one.
He stated that Al-Shifa Trust Hospital can conduct nearly 800 corneal transplants annually as a significant deficit between the supply and demand of corneal tissue impairs its capacity to serve more people.
Gen Rehmat Khan stated that many individuals are awaiting transplants in Pakistan and a lack of inclination in local populations prompts cornea imports.
He informed that corneal tissue supply chain management could be inconsistent, mainly when certain cornea-exporting nations restrict donations to satisfy local transplant needs.
Therefore, he said, it is essential to take the initiative locally to transform the lives of individuals awaiting vision restoration.
The cornea is among the simplest tissues to transplant, as it does not necessitate matching between donor and recipient. It operates without blood, extracting oxygen directly from the atmosphere.
He informed that AST has a state-of-the-art eye bank at Rawalpindi Eye Hospital and expert doctors for collecting eye donations. Corneal grafting from an older adult to a younger recipient is a feasible procedure.
