Vietnam reaches 40,000 registered cornea donors in five years

Nearly 40,000 people have registered to donate their corneas since the eye bank at the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology (VNIO) was established in 2009.

It is estimated that Vietnam has more than 30,000 people in need of cornea transplant surgery.

To date the bank has collected 461 corneas from 235 people after they died.

At a ceremony on November 28, the VNIO honoured 37 people and their families for signing up to donate their corneas in 2014 as well as 33 organisations and individuals for their contribution to the bank’s operations and cornea donation movement.

Hoang Van Tien from northern Ninh Binh province recalled that when his father and elder sister decided to donate their corneas, their intention was met with objection from other family members.

But they turned to endorse his father and sister’s gesture after being convinced by Tien and the local Red Cross society that their corneas can help blind people resulting from cornea conditions restore their eyesight.

In 2006, a law on human organ and tissue donation was adopted by the National Assembly, creating the foundation for the establishment of the VNIO eye bank three years later.

This is a not-for-profit organisation with the aim of campaigning for cornea donation, receiving, storing and distributing corneas.

It is estimated that Vietnam has more than 30,000 people in need of cornea transplant surgery.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)