Bengaluru: ‘We need to understand the pain of the blind people and we must do whatever is possible to give them sight’, said Archbishop Joseph Perumthottam inaugurating the Eye Collection Centre at the St Thomas Hospital, Chethipuzha today. He was addressing the 150 youth leaders from all over the Archdiocese who had gathered together to make a strategy for promoting eye donation in the society at large. Archbishop had pledged to donate his eyes in a function recently.

MLA Shri C F Thomas, who was the Chief Guest at the function at the Hospital premises urged young people to take up such meaningful social programs. He said that ‘we need the active involvement of the young people to tackle social issues like blindness’.

Share Vision program was launched in the Archdiocese of Changanacherry to create a system for eye donation. As a part of it, the Eye Collection Centre has been set up in order to provide easy access for anyone to donate their eyes. This centre is joined with the Little Flower Eye hospital in Angamali.

Fr Thomas, the Director of St Thomas Hospital informed that a dedicated number has been allotted for eye donation. Anyone can call  920 7846999 and the team from the hospital will visit the family for the eye collection. The dead body need not be brought to the hospital for donating eyes. 

Fr George Kannanthanam, Founder and Director of Project Vision explained that India has one third of world’s 39 million blind population and that 20% of them could see again through an eye donation. For this there is need for a movement involving political parties, religious organisations and young people. Project Vision is a global movement that is working towards eliminating corneal blindness from the world. The activities in Changanacherry Archdioceses are a part of this movement. Such programs are undertaken also in other Dioceses, Congregations and Institutions. Fr George said that his dream was "to establish Eye Collection Centres in all Christian Hospitals in India so that no one would die waiting for the gift of sight."

Fr Jacob, Director of the Young organisation of the Changanacherry Archdiocese promised that Yuvadeepthi will promote eye donation in the Archdiocese through various programs during this year. He spelt out a plan of action through which the message will be taken to every family. He said, ‘youth members will act as Vision Ambassadors in the event of anybody’s death by motivating the family and co-ordinating with the eye bank’.

Dr Thomas Zacharias, head of the ophthalmology department, during his talk told that ‘eye donation is a very easy process. At any age people can donate their eyes. Even people wearing spectacles and persons with normal diseases like BP or diabetics can also donate their eyes.’ He also explained that eye donation does not make the face disfigured since only the cornea is collected.

After the inauguration, about 150 members of the youth group along with the staff and students of St Thomas Hospital conducted a BlindWalk. Blindfolded they walked on road for a kilometre ‘to feel being blind’. The BlindWalk was flagged of DYSP (Crime) of Pathanamthitta, Mr Sabu KS. The Walk ended with a pledge by all the members to donate their eyes after death and also to work as Vision Ambassadors to promote eye donation in the community.