The event, staged by North Andhra Registered Medical Practitioners Association’s zonal president Jangam Joshi and Vizianagaram district president Gedda Chiranjeevi, brought together doctors, non‑government organisations and the public to highlight the urgent need for eye‑donation pledges in Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking at the programme, All India Body Organ Donation State general secretary Shingam Shivaji stressed that corneas harvested within five hours of death can be successfully transplanted to restore sight for thousands of visually impaired residents in the state.
Shivaji warned that superstition and fear of post‑mortem blindness are deterring many families from consenting to eye donation, limiting the supply of viable corneas for transplantation.
He called on registered medical practitioners (RMPs) and NGOs to intensify outreach, educate communities and secure written pledges from families, which would streamline the collection of corneas from deceased donors in the future.
The organisers hope the awareness drive will translate into a measurable increase in eye‑donation pledges, thereby expanding the pool of corneas available for patients awaiting sight‑restoring surgery.