{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Eye donation pledges in Mizoram climb to 9,345 as 33 more students sign up",
  "summary": "The tally of people pledged to donate their eyes after death in Mizoram has reached 9,345, after 33 students signed up during a recent programme in Aizawl.",
  "content": "A fresh batch of 33 students in Mizoram has signed up to donate their eyes once they die, taking the state's overall pledge count to 9,345.\n\nNew pledges made during Eye Donation Fortnight\nThe fresh pledges came in during the 41st Eye Donation Fortnight programme held in Aizawl on Monday, where the group of students formally signed up to donate their eyes once they pass away. Health and Family Welfare Principal Director Dr Lalthlengliani confirmed the updated tally on Tuesday, noting that the pledge count for the state had risen to 9,345 with the addition of these students.\n\nAwareness driving the rise in pledges\nDr Lalthlengliani linked the steady climb in pledges to growing public awareness about how corneal donation works and the difference it can make for people living with corneal blindness. A donated cornea, once retrieved from someone who has passed away, can be transplanted into a patient to help restore their sight, provided the procedure happens within a limited window of time after death.\n\nHow Mizoram's eye bank has grown\nMizoram set up its eye bank on July 31, 2008, and it took just over a year for the facility to carry out its first successful corneal transplant, on September 25, 2009. Since then, 632 people in the state have gone on to actually donate their eyes after death, while the recipient side of the programme currently has 400 people registered and waiting for a matching cornea. In the ongoing financial year alone, the eye bank has managed to retrieve 42 corneas as of July, and doctors have already performed 23 corneal transplant procedures in that period.\n\nDonor families recognised for their contribution\nSeparately, the health department recently honoured 67 families whose relatives had donated their eyes in 2025-26, presenting them with certificates of appreciation for their contribution to the programme. Officials describe corneal donation as a time-sensitive process, since the cornea has to be retrieved from a deceased donor and used quickly to give an eligible patient with corneal blindness a real chance at regaining their vision.\n\nWhat this means for you\nIf someone in your family lives with corneal blindness, or you have ever considered pledging your eyes, this update matters directly to you.\n\n• Across India: Eye donation remains the only way corneal blindness patients can regain their sight, since there is no artificial substitute for a human cornea. More pledges anywhere in the country shorten the wait for patients on transplant lists.\n• In Mizoram: The state currently has 400 people registered as recipients, while only 42 corneas have actually been retrieved so far this financial year up to July. Families in Mizoram who want to help can register a pledge with the local eye bank, and relatives need to inform the eye bank soon after a death for the donation to go through.\n• Act fast after death: Because corneal retrieval only works within a short window after a person dies, families are encouraged to discuss and confirm pledges in advance so hospitals or the eye bank can be alerted immediately when the time comes.\n\nWhy this happened\nThis rise in pledges did not happen overnight, it follows a clear pattern that the state's health department official pointed to directly.\n\n• Awareness campaigns: The annual Eye Donation Fortnight programme has become a major channel for reaching people, especially students, with information about how corneal donation works. It was during this year's edition that the 33 students signed their pledges.\n• A track record to point to: Mizoram's eye bank has been functioning since 2008 and has been carrying out transplants since 2009, giving residents visible, successful examples of the process rather than an untested idea.\n• A real gap to fill: With 400 patients still registered and waiting for a cornea, and retrievals still limited, that gap between supply and need is itself pushing more people to pledge.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. How many people in Mizoram have now pledged to donate their eyes?\nThe pledge count has reached 9,345 after 33 students recently joined the list.\n\n2. When and where did the students make their pledge?\nThey pledged during the 41st Eye Donation Fortnight programme held in Aizawl on Monday.\n\n3. How many people have actually donated their eyes after death in Mizoram so far?\n632 people have donated their eyes after death so far.\n\n4. How many patients are waiting for a cornea in Mizoram?\n400 people are currently registered as recipients with the eye bank.\n\n5. When was Mizoram's eye bank set up and when was the first transplant done?\nThe eye bank was inaugurated on July 31, 2008, and the first successful corneal transplant was carried out on September 25, 2009.\n\n6. How many corneal transplants have been done this financial year?\nThe eye bank retrieved 42 corneas up to July and 23 corneal transplant procedures have already been carried out this financial year.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/mizoram/mizoram-men-ankhen-dana-karane-ka-snkalpa-lene-valon-ki-snkhya-9-345-hui-33-chhatra-jure-29577",
  "category": "Mizoram",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-08",
  "tags": [
    "eye donation",
    "Mizoram",
    "Aizawl",
    "corneal transplant",
    "eye bank",
    "corneal blindness",
    "health department"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}