Udhampur’s Northern Command Hospital conducts its first corneal transplant surgery

Udhampur had no corneal transplant facilities until now; the Northern Command Hospital under the command of Major General Avinash Das initiated the start of the facility this year

The Northern Command Hospital at Udhampur has successfully conducted its first corneal transplant surgery on two patients, officials on Monday.

Udhampur’s Northern Command Hospital conducted its first corneal transplant surgery. (HT File)

Sharing details, defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said, “The Northern Command hospital set a new milestone by opening eye bank facilities and a corneal transplant centre. Eye donations done by a deceased person in Katra were transplanted to give vision to two visually disabled people.”

“A 64-year-old male, who was blind in both eyes for 20 years, could move around comfortably after a few days of surgery. Another transplant in a 67-year-old female with corneal opacity in right eye for five years has grossly benefitted from the surgery,” he added.

Udhampur had no corneal transplant facilities until now. The hospital under the command of Major General Avinash Das initiated the start of the facility this year.

Certificate of registration for eye banking and corneal transplantation facility under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (THOTA) Act, 1994 was obtained in May this year from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

A team led by Lieutenant Colonel Priya Taank who is trained for corneal transplant surgeries is working on promoting eye donation in Udhampur and transplant cornea in cases of corneal blindness.

“A lot of patients have been registered for corneal transplants in Command Hospital (Northern Command). This will help many corneal blind people ranging from children to old age in getting their vision back,” he said.