By Matters India Reporter
Changanacherry: Around 150 young people joined Church and social leaders to walk blindfolded in a Kerala village to experience what is to be sightless.
This was done at Chethipuzha, a parish under Changanacherry archdiocese, as part of promoting eye donations.
“We need to understand the pain of the blind people and we must do whatever is possible to give them sight,” said Archbishop Joseph Perumthottam of Changanacherry, who on April 29 opened an eye donation center at the St Thomas Hospital in the village.
The prelate commended the youth leaders from all over the archdiocese for coming together to make a strategy to promote eye donation in society. The archbishop had pledged to donate his eyes at a recent function.
C F Thomas, local legislator and chief guest at the function held at the hospital premises, urged young people to take up such meaningful social programs. “We need the active involvement of the young people to tackle social issues like blindness,” he added.
The archdiocese also launched Share Vision program to create a system for eye donation. The Eye Collection Centre was set up to provide easy access for people to donate their eyes. The center is attached with the Little Flower Eye Hospital in Angamali in neighboring Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese.
Thomas Managalthu, director of St Thomas Hospital, said the institution has allotted a dedicated number for eye donation. Anyone can call 9207846999 and the team from the hospital will visit the family for the eye collection. The body of the deceased need not be brought to the hospital for donating eyes, the priest explained.
The activities in Changanacherry archdioceses are a part of Project Vision, a global movement that works toward eliminating corneal blindness from the world.
Father George Kannanthanam, its founder and director who attended the program, explained that India has one third of world’s 39 million blind people and that 20 percent of them could see again through an eye donation. For this there is need for a movement involving political parties, religious organizations and young people.
The Claretian priest explained such programs are undertaken also in other dioceses, congregations and Institutions. He said his dream is “to establish eye collection centers in all Christian Hospitals in India so that no one would die waiting for the gift of sight.”
Fr Jacob, Director of the Young organization of the Changanacherry Archdiocese promised that Yuvadeepthi will promote eye donation in the archdiocese through various programs during this year. He spelt out a plan of action through which the message will be taken to every family. He said, ‘youth members will act as Vision Ambassadors in the event of anybody’s death by motivating the family and coordinating with the eye bank’.
Doctor Thomas Zacharias, head of the ophthalmology department, during his talk told that ‘eye donation is a very easy process. At any age people can donate their eyes. Even people wearing spectacles and persons with normal diseases like BP or diabetics can also donate their eyes.’ He also explained that eye donation does not make the face disfigured since only the cornea is collected.
The BlindWalk was flagged of Sabu KS, a top police officer in Pathanamthitta district. The walk ended with a pledge by all the members to donate their eyes after death and also to work as Vision Ambassadors to promote eye donation in the community.