RAIPUR: A solemn undertaking by four Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officers in Chhattisgarh paved way to inspire many to donate eyes. This apparently resulted in the creation of a record in the state with over 32,000 people voluntarily coming forward and pledging their eyes for donation.
With the promising development in the state, health minister T S Singhdeo too signed a donor card pledging for his eyes in support of the noble cause.
Chhattisgarh bureaucrats setting an example with their special gesture on giving the gift of sight to deprived, has led to the success of fortnight-long eye donation campaign launched by National Health Mission (NHM).
“It was very encouraging to see such an unprecedented number in Chhattisgarh coming forward for the first time to express their will on eye donation”, said Priyanka Shukla (IAS), Mission Director, NHM, who also decided to pledge her eyes.
“One should come forward to brighten the lives of those in need. I have decided to donate eyes as well as my body too. If we can be of some use to others even after we die, what more can a civil servant aspire for”, said Rajat Bansal (IAS), Dhamtari collector.
The health experts in the state believe that with so many people pledging, the perception and awareness regarding eye donation will change for the better and any false notion on social taboos associated with the noble objective will soon vanish.
According to Dr Subhash Mishra, the state programme officer, National Blindness Control Programme, a target has been set to bring down the blindness (those which are treatable) to 0.3 percentage (the blindness per cent figure that can’t be removed or treated) by 2020 through treatment of conical blindness.