Dr Azra pledges posthumous donation of corneas

Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho has pledged to donate her corneas posthumously to people who have lost their eyesight due to injuries so that they were able to see the world again.

Islam does not prohibit cadaver organ donation, she said as she spoke on Wednesday at the inauguration ceremony of the Eye Bank and Cornea Lab established in Karachi by the Pakistan Eye Bank Society (PEBS). She urged parliamentarians, doctors and common people to donate their corneas on the occasion.

“Today, I have announced to donate my corneas to the Pakistan Eye Bank Society to be grafted to those who have lost their eyesight due to disease or injury. I also urge my fellow parliamentarians and the commons to donate their corneas posthumously as it would help hundreds of people to regain their eyesight and see the colours of this world again,” she said.

The PEBS established the eye bank to motivate the people to donate their corneas posthumously so that hundreds of people who need corneal transplants could benefit. Presently for corneal transplants, Pakistan has been receiving corneas from Sri Lanka, the largest supplier of corneas to the world where a large number of people donate their corneas posthumously.

Dr Pechuho also filled the form for corneal donation, which was testified by health expert Dr Shershah Syed. Some other participants of the ceremony also filled the form to donate their corneas posthumously.