Corneal transplant surgery only exists because someone chose to donate. The eye bank at Drishti Netralaya is what makes that possible locally in Dibrugarh, rather than patients having to be referred elsewhere and wait on a distant list. Eye donation is voluntary, doesn't disfigure the donor, and a single donor's corneas can restore sight to as many as two people.
Common Myths About Eye Donation
Most of what stops people from pledging isn't a real objection — it's a myth that's been repeated for years:
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| "My whole eyeball is removed and my face will look disfigured." | Only the cornea — a small, clear tissue — is used. The face isn't disfigured, and open-casket funerals remain possible. |
| "I'm too old, or my eyesight is too poor, to donate." | There's no upper age limit, and people who wore glasses or had cataract or other eye surgery can often still donate — suitability is assessed after death, not ruled out in advance. |
| "My religion doesn't allow it." | Eye donation is widely regarded as an act of charity across major religious traditions, and no major religious text prohibits it. |
| "It takes hours and delays the funeral." | Corneal retrieval typically takes around 15 to 20 minutes and doesn't hold up funeral arrangements. |
| "My eyes could be sold." | Buying or selling human eyes is illegal in India under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act — donation is entirely voluntary and free of cost to the donor's family. |
| "If I've pledged, my family doesn't need to do anything else." | Family consent is still required at the time of death, which is exactly why telling your family about your pledge matters as much as registering it. |
Who Can Donate
More people are eligible than most assume. Almost anyone above the age of one can pledge, regardless of whether they wore glasses, had cataract or other eye surgery, or even certain eye diseases — final suitability is assessed by the eye bank at the time of donation, not decided in advance based on guesswork. Some conditions do rule out donation, such as certain active infections or specific cancers, but these are exceptions assessed case by case rather than something to self-diagnose ahead of time. If in doubt, the simplest step is to pledge anyway and let the eye bank make that assessment when the time comes.
How Eye Donation Actually Works
Pledging in advance means registering your intent with an eye bank and, just as importantly, telling your family clearly — because even with a pledge on record, their consent is still needed at the time of death. When that time comes, the family or attending hospital contacts the eye bank as soon as possible, ideally within a few hours. A trained technician then retrieves the corneal tissue, usually at the home or hospital, in a brief and respectful procedure. The tissue is evaluated for suitability and matched to a patient waiting for a corneal transplant.
India's toll-free eye donation helpline, 1919, is available nationally around the clock for information or to report a death for eye collection — worth keeping in mind alongside your local eye bank's own contact details.
Eye Bank Services Across Our Centres
Information and pledge registration can typically be arranged at any of the hospital's centres:
One Donation, Two Chances to See Again
Corneal blindness remains a significant, treatable cause of vision loss across India, and corneal transplant is the only established way to treat it when medical treatment alone isn't enough — which is what makes each donation genuinely count, not just symbolically.
Frequently Asked Questions
No — eye donation is free of cost to the donor's family, and it's illegal in India for anyone to buy or sell human eyes or tissue.
In many cases, yes — neither necessarily rules out corneal donation. Final suitability is assessed by the eye bank at the time of donation.
As soon as reasonably possible — ideally within a few hours of death — which is why informing the eye bank promptly matters, and why telling your family about your pledge in advance genuinely helps.
Yes — a pledge reflects your intent, but it isn't irreversible, and in any case your family's consent is still required at the time of death regardless of an earlier pledge.
No upper age limit — practically, anyone above the age of one can be considered, with suitability assessed individually rather than based on age alone.
Any of the hospital's four centres, including Dhemaji and Machkhowa, can provide information and help with pledge registration.
Consider Making the Pledge
It costs nothing, takes a few minutes to register, and can genuinely restore sight for two people after you're gone.
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