The Sri Lanka Eye Donation Association has announced that more than 2.3 million people have pledged to donate their eyes after death.
Association President Ayodhya Sampath de Silva said a total of 2,307,800 eye donation pledges have been registered to date.
During the month of June alone, 1,443 eyes were donated, enabling 843 corneal transplant surgeries. Of these, 173 transplants were performed on patients in Sri Lanka, while 670 benefited recipients overseas.
According to the Association, its eye donation programme has restored the sight of 243,142 people so far, including 138,850 patients in Sri Lanka and 104,292 patients in other countries.
Meanwhile, the Association’s tissue bank provided 212 tissues for transplant procedures during June, bringing the total number of tissues donated to 20,496.
The Association also conducted nine free eyeglass distribution programmes during the month, providing 1,933 pairs of spectacles to those in need.
In addition, 425 patients were selected under the Association’s free cataract surgery programme in June, with 167 surgeries successfully completed, Sampath de Silva said.
