Sargodha: Sargodha Medical College (SMC) has successfully transplanted free cornea to restore eyesight of the people blinded by diseases or trauma.
For the first time, eye keratoplasty was performed on five patients, free of cost at District and Teaching Headquarter Hospital, Sargodha.In this surgical technique, the chances of graft rejection are minimal and cornea works for lifetime.
Lead surgeon of the transplantation, Dr Hashim Imran informed that five cornea transplantations were done successfully on young as well old people, who would regain their eyesight, Prof Dr Hashim Imran, lead surgeon informed.”
He added that five corneas were sent by Association of Physicians of Pakistani of North America (Appna) and Pakistan Association of Maphses to be transplanted to the needy people.
“As there was no culture of organs donations in Pakistan, the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (Appna) was sending corneas, which enabled the patients to regain their eyesight, he further added.”
Dr Imran said that the five patients including Ghulam Zain, Zafar Iqbal, Rafaqat Ali, Muhammad Shahab and Sobia Bibi, had lost their eyesight due to trauma and degenerative diseases. The surgery was perfect and there was no complication after the operation, he added.
He said that the patients were selected from the outpatients department (OPD) and mostly were poor and could not afford the cost of a single corneal graft.
He stressed on launching awareness campaign for cornea donation at local level in order to help the poor who were charged heavily for transplantation at private hospitals.