Almost anybody

Eye donation can only be done after death. Practically anybody above 1 year of age can donate without any upper age limit. People with poor eyesight, old age, spectacles, cataract surgery, diabetes and blood pressure can also donate their eyes. Even a person who is blind from retinal or optic nerve disease can donate their eyes.

Persons who died of unknown cause or due to infectious diseases such as rabies, syphilis, infectious hepatitis and AIDS cannot donate their eyes. The list also include those who died of hematological malignancies such as leukemia or lymphoma.

No

Eye removal itself takes only 15-20 minutes and can be done anywhere. The eye bank personnel come wherever the body is placed and retrieve the eye. It does not cause any visible disfigurement and doesn't interfere with common funeral practices.

If you're interested in donating your eyes, the most important step is tell your family members about your wish. Since the actual donation process can only be done after death, it requires the support of relatives and friends to carry out the process of donation. The Eye Bank should be called as soon as possible after death so that the eyes can be obtained and preserved.

You don't need to sign any form during your life to donate your eyes.  The act of "pledging" your eyes by signing a form, though a noble act in itself, has no legal or practical significance. The eyes cannot be taken just on the basis of a signed pledge form. Since the actual process of donation happens after death, only the close family members can give consent for it.

The act of pledge has been used by many organization including the government for promotion of eye donation. But unfortunately it has created a lot of confusion in minds of many. Most of the pledges doesn't get converted to donations. And most of the current donations happen from people who had never signed such a form during their life.

Yes, the relatives of the deceased can donate eyes of their beloved assuming that the deceased had made a verbal wish for donation during his / her lifetime.

The eye should be collected soon after death and the sooner the better. Though the quality of the eye deteriorates with time, decent quality eyes may still be obtained even 12 hours after death. This depends on multiple factors especially the temperature at which the body had been stored. In case of significant delay after death, please discuss with the eye bank personnel regarding possibility of donation.

Till the time eye bank team reaches to take the eyes, a few precautions are required including.

• Both eyes of the deceased should be closed and covered with moist cotton.
• The ceiling fan above the body should be switched off to prevent drying of eyes
• The body should be kept at as low temperature as possible. If required, use ice blocks and air conditioners to keep the body cool.
• The head should be raised above the level of the body

Once the eye bank is informed. a team of eye bank personnel will reach at your place to collect the eyes. Usually they take only the cornea or the front part of the eye and preserve it in a special liquid.

 No information of the recipient or the donor is passed on to each other to ensure privacy

Its always best to store the contact number of the nearest eye bank. 1919 is the national number to contact the nearest eye bank. Unfortunately it is only functional at some places.

In Gurgaon the only eye bank is being run by Nirmaya Charitable Trust. You can contact them at (+0124) 2254848 for eye donation

NO

Eyes cannot legally be bought or sold by the eye bank. Every eye bank and every corneal transplant center is registered with the government and has to send monthly data about its work. The eyes obtained is distributed by the eye bank according to a waiting list.

The information about recipient and donor cannot be passed on to each other as per indian law. And the donor or his / her family members cannot decide the recipient.

Be an 'Eye Donation Champion' and not just an eye donor.

By ensuring that your eyes will be donated after your death, you can help atleast 2 people. But you can actually help many more by facilitating the process of donation for others. Most of the time donations don't happen due to lack of awareness or lack of initiative by the relatives of the deceased. That's the time when its helpful to have a person who can take the initiative and help the family members carry out eye donation. And that person can be YOU.

If you come across a death amongst your family, neighbours, friends or colleagues, you can help them by facilitating the process of eye donation.