Various awareness programs held on the occasion of National Eye Donation Fortnight Ratnagiri, 30th-(Jimaka): Government Medical College and District General Hospital organized various programs on the occasion of 39th National Eye Donation Fortnight under District Blindness Control and Visual Impairment Programme.

On this occasion, an eye donation awareness rally was held in Ratnagiri city. On this occasion, Regional Manager of State Bank of India, Arun Kumar Jain as Chief Guest and Founder of Government Medical College, Dr. Dr. Jaiprakash Ramanand, District Surgeon. Bhaskar Jagtap, Ati. District Surgeon Dr. Dr. Kumar, Medical Superintendent of Medical College. Vinod Sangvikar, Administrative Officer Dr. Carpenter, Medical Officer Dr. Uttamrao Kamble, Eye Surgeon Dr. Vanita Kangule, Dr. Sunil Dhokhale, Adhikari Mrs. Shirdhankar and all officers and staff of District Hospital, Mrs. Vasave, Nursing School teacher and nursing students, Asha volunteers, Yash Foundation students were present. Instead of filling the eye donation affidavit, other relatives should take the initiative to donate eyes posthumously in case of unfortunate death of a family member. If contacted within the first hours, the district hospital can brighten up the dark lives of two blind persons by performing the eye donation procedure within six hours. Therefore, district surgeon Dr. appeals that maximum number of people should donate eyes of their relatives after death. Bhaskar Jagtap did. Despite celebrating eye donation fortnight in the whole country for the last 38 years, except for Mumbai, Pune, Sangli, Kolhapur, the amount of eye donation is very low. Due to superstition, tradition, misunderstanding, the relatives of the deceased are not ready to donate eyes after death. One person’s eye donation gives sight to two blind people. After a person dies, the entire body becomes ashes and soil. Eye donation awareness is coming with the concept that eyes can be kept alive if eyes are donated after death. On the occasion of Eye Donation Fortnight, students of Yash Foundation presented an informative street play on eye donation. If anyone in the district wants to donate eyes after death, Nodal Officer of District Blindness Control Program Sandeep Ugvekar Md. 9405496109 and Eye Donation Director Ram Chinchole Md. 8208852188 should be contacted.