Make eye donation mandatory: Mantri

NEW DELHI: Tourism minister K J Alphons has proposed that the government make eye donations compulsory for all Indians. Making a case for cornea donation to help those blinded by corneal diseases, Alphons said he would formally write to the Union health ministry to make eye donations compulsory for all persons after they die.

"Despite awareness programmes, only 45,000 Indians donate their eyes annually. A simple corneal transplant has the power of saving people from blindness. I will write to the ministry to con sider making eye donation compulsory ," Alphons told TOI on the sidelines of an event to announce `Blindwalk 2017', an eye donation campaign by Bengalurubased NGO Project Vision on October 12, World Sight Day. Alphons' younger brother, Father George Kannanthanam, is the founder director of Project Vision. Citing the example of Sri Lanka, which he ed had made it compul claimed had made it compulsory for its citizens to donate their eyes after death, Alphons said, "By doing this, Sri Lanka has becomes the largest donor of corneas to the world. We must consider this too, in India."