World’s largest cornea bank joins hands with Aidi Eye Hospital
On Tuesday morning, this week, Sri Lanka International Eye Bank, the largest cornea bank in the world, signed MOU for Strategic Cooperation with Aidi Eye Hospital. According to the MOU, Sri Lanka International Eye Bank would donate at least 500 corneas annually to Aidi Eye Hospital in Sichuan in the coming 10 years.
The first cornea from the eye bank was successfully transplanted to a 17-year old teenager from Panzhihua at Aidi Eye Hospital that afternoon of the donation day. Analysts said that the move initiated by Sri Lanka International Eye Bank will greatly alleviate the mounting imbalance between supply and demand of corneas, making for the possibility of eliminating “zero cornea inventory” in Sichuan which was plaguing the domestic ophthalmology industry for years.
Sri Lanka International Eye Bank Pledges to Donate 500 Corneas to Aidi Eye Hospital Each Year
“There are about 20 eyebanks in China, but hardly any of them has cornea inventory”, says Prof. Zhao Kanxing, chairman of Chinese Ophthalmological Society. The number of patients demanding corneal transplantation in China amounts to 0.3~0.4 million each year. However, due to great shortage of cornea donations, only 5000 operations are actually performed each year, less than 2% of the total number on the waiting list.
Harbin Medical University in Heilongjiang Province is the “hometown” and place of origin for corneal transplantation in China. Though corneal transplantation was performed and succeeded at the university as early as in the 1940s, only 1 cornea donation was made to Heilongjiang Provincial Eyebank during 5 years of its operation.
Statistics in 2006 showed that there were about 50,000 blind patients waiting for corneal transplantation in Sichuan, but throughout 2003 only 200 such operations were performed. Currently, about 100 corneal transplantation surgeries are conducted in West China Hospital, each year and most corneas are from local donators. However, that contrasts with the 300~400 patients on the waiting list, who generally have to wait 3 years before their surgeries.
General Manager of Sri Lanka International Eye Bank Donating a Precious Cornea to Aidi Eye Hospital
Sri Lanka International Eye Bank: donate to Sichuan first with at least 500 corneas each year
On May29th this year, at the invitation of Sri Lanka International Eye Bank, a delegation from Aidi Eye Hospital went to Sri Lanka to conduct preliminary consultations on bilateral strategic cooperation. The delegation was warmly greeted by the first lady of Sri Lanka.
During the visit, both sides reached a consensus on strategic cooperation. They agreed that Sri Lanka International Eye Bank would donate corneas to Chengdu Aidi Eye Hospital for free, while Aidi Eye Hospital would donate medical apparatus and instruments for eye banks to Sri Lanka and send a delegation of aid experts on cataract to perform free operations to cure patients in Sri Lanka. Both sides agreed to sign the formal MOU for Strategic Cooperation in Chengdu on September 10th, 2013.
The signing ceremony of MOU for Strategic Cooperation between Aidi Eye Hospital and Sri Lanka International Eye Bank was held as planned at 10:00a.m., September 10th, together with handover ceremony of the cornea donated to China by Sri Lanka.
Witnessed by the consul of Sri Lanka to Chengdu and relevant authorities from the local health system, Ariyapala Perera Gamachchige, president of Sri Lankan Eye Donation Society and Prof. Hu Yuzhang, director of Aidi Eye Hospital signed the MOU. According to the agreement, in the coming 10 years, Sri Lanka International Eye Bank will donate at least 500 corneas annually to Aidi Eye Hospital in Sichuan, ensure the medical and ethical standards of the corneas, and provide serological test report of cornea donators; while Aidi Eye Hospital will send a delegation led by Prof. Lian Hao, famous aid expert on cataract surgeries to perform free operations for patients in Sri Lanka.
Aidi Eye Hospital pioneers in opening up an “international channel” for corneal transplantation.
“It is a memorable day in the history of medicine communication between China and foreign countries. It also marks as a historical event in the Chinese history of ophthalmology”, said Prof. Zhao Kanxing, chairman of Chinese Ophthalmological Society at the signing ceremony. He pointed out that the mutual strategic cooperation relationship opened up a favorable “international passage” which could exert a very positive influence on alleviating the mounting imbalance between supply and demand of corneal transplantation.
At the ceremony, Janath Saman Matara Arachchi, general manager of Sri Lanka International Eye Bank donated a precious cornea to Aidi Eye Hospital. It is known to be the first cornea donated to Sichuan from abroad.
“The cornea donated from Sri Lanka is the most precious gift for Aidi Eye Hospital since its foundation, because it signifies a regained healthy eye”, said Director Hu Yuzhang during interview.
Success of “first donation” operation enables 17-year old teenager to prepare for college entrance examination with a Sri Lanka eye.
At 14:00, on the same day the cornea was donated across the ocean, it was successfully transplanted to a 17-year old teenager, Xiaodong (alias) from Panzhihua at Aidi Eye Hospital. Fees for operation were covered by Xiaoming Eyebank Fundation of Shenzhen Charity Association.
According to family of Xiaodong, the boy began to experience diminution of vision 6 years ago and the symptom deteriorated over time. Local hospital diagnosed it as cornea dystrophy that required transplant operation, but he had to wait for a cornea donation. In spite of his impaired vision, the boy never thought of giving up and even went to a local key high school. However, as the illness deteriorates, he had to quit school and stay at home although he would take the College Entrance Examination next year.
Prof. Kang Qian, corneal transplantation surgeon at Aidi Eye Hospital said the operation was so successful that the boy would recover in 5~7 days and it would not interfere with his study as long as the boy used his eyes in accordance with doctors’ advice.
