Mahto pledged his eyes, but cornea could not be retrieved

Ranchi: Education minister Jagarnath Mahto's wish that his body should be used in service of society could not be fulfilled after his passing at a Chennai hospital on Thursday. Six months ago while taking part in an event organised by the Kashyap Memorial Eye Hospital (KMEH) here to create awareness about eye donation, he had pledged his eyes but due to unfortunate circumstances, his desire remained unfulfilled.
Dr Bharti Kashyap, the medical director of KMEH who also heads the Eye Donation Awareness Club (EDAC), expressed disappointment that the last wish of the minister could not be fulfilled. “We can blame it on the unfortunate circumstances as he died in a hospital in Chennai and there are chances that the grief-stricken family members could not inform the local eye bank for the retrieval of the cornea within the stipulated six-hour time,” Dr Kashyap said.
Usually, on the death of a person who had pledged his or her eyes, a team of doctors from an eye bank immediately visits the patient for cornea retrieval. “We can preserve the cornea for up to two weeks but it has to be retrieved within six hours of the death, failing which, the cornea cannot be used,” Dr Kashyap said, explaining why there was no point retrieving the cornea after Mahto’s body reached Ranchi.
Dr Kashyap added that 90% of the eye donations are from people, who had not pledged their eyes during their lifetime but from family members of the deceased who were willing to donate them.
“Merely pledging may not serve the purpose. So, we try to create awareness among family members,” she said. In a video speech of the minister shared by Dr Kashyap, Mahto was heard at an EDAC event in September 2022 that he was pledging his eyes, saying he was alive because of an organ donation after both his lungs were damaged by the Covid infection.
“I am standing before you only because someone donated his lungs. If someone gets their vision through my eyes, there is no bigger satisfaction than that,” Mahto had said.
(With inputs from Divy Khare in Bokaro)