DGHS New Delhi approves Eye Bank, Corneal Transplant facility for GMC Jammu

JAMMU : Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has awarded the Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College Jammu with registration of its Eye Bank, Corneal Transplant and Retrieval Facility in the UT of J&K under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act & Tissues Act 1994, THOTA. The registration has been granted for five years. Now the Corneal transplantation is expected to start soon.

Dr. Shashi Sudhan Sharma, Principal and Dean, GMC Jammu congratulated Dr Satish Gupta, Head Ophthalmology Department, Dr Shazia Wafai, Sr. Regional Director, H&FW, GoI and Dr Sanjeev Puri, Joint Director, SOTTO (J&K) and his team for their sincere efforts for this achievement. With the establishment of corneal transplant centres, it will be easy for our people to get transplants in Jammu without waiting for long.

“The Department is well-prepared to start corneal transplantation again”, she added.

It is pertinent to mention that a three member experts’ team from Director General Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi had inspected the Eye Bank, Corneal Transplantation and Retrieval facility in the month of February in the Department of Ophthalmology as per the prescribed parameters of Govt. of India under the THOTA, 1994.

Earlier, GMC Jammu had got the provisional registration from the Licensing Authority of Directorate of Health Services, Jammu under the J&K transplantation of Human Organ Act, 1997. The department has already conducted 21 corneal transplants. But after conversion of J&K State to Union Territory, the department had to apply for a new registration to DGHS, New Delhi through State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO) J&K .Now this will open up a facility for eye donation and corneal transplant for the people at GMC Jammu.