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Old man's gesture

Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR: An 84-year-old person, who died due to multiple-diseases, donated his eyes marking the first ever eye donation in the history of government-run Capital Hospital here on Wednesday.

Corneal removal process was performed soon after Banambar Mallick of Khairpur village under Balipatna police limit of Khurda district died at the hospital in the afternoon.

Mallick, who was famous for his nobility in his village, is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son.

His family members were approached by members of Drushti Daan, a voluntary organisation working in field of eye donation, and the request was readily agreed.

"This is the first ever eye donation by an individual, who was being treated here," said Lokanath Acharya, Chief Medical Officer of Capital Hospital.

Eyes were sent to a modern eye banking facility at city-based Bhubaneswar-L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), where necessary tests were conducted before preserving it for transplantation.

Drushti Daan has so far collected eyes from 38 persons. Bulk of the eyes were collected from city-based Kalinga Hospital while 12 came from different houses, said Nalini Sarma, treasurer of Drushti Daan.

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