Eye Donation Awareness Campaign

In 1991, as a fresh graduate, Dr Kashyap launched the first ever eye donation campaign in the then unified Bihar Jharkhand to dispel hesitation regarding eye donation. Small efforts bore fruits, when in 1995 she received the first post humous eye donation in the state. Over the past 33 years continued eye donation awareness programs and yearly run for vision, blind folded marathons for past 20 years turned the campaign into a movement During covid times she initiated innovative digital eye donation awareness and involved more than 10000 students and found out digital platform is as effective as print and electronic media. Dr Bharti Kashyap, Medical Director, Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank also found out that a high percentage of people are aware of eye donation but they are not willing to do this. She organizes awareness programs involving priests of different religions and also regular essay, painting & slogan competitions on eye donation theme among school children to dispel hesitation regarding eye donation. She tried to inspire the students, youth power of Jharkhand through multiple webinars during COVID time also.

The first Eye Bank in unified Bihar and Jharkhand, Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank, Ranchi, has so far received over 10,000 eye donation pledges from men and women from all walks of life. Eye donation pledges continue to soar each year. Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank, Ranchi, has the credit of receiving the first posthumous eye donation and conducting the first free cornea transplant in the then unified Bihar and Jharkhand in 1995.
To break the taboo of Eye donations Dr Bharti Kashyap and Dr B. P. Kashyap launched the first ever eye donation campaign in the then unified Bihar Jharkhand, to dispel hesitation regarding eye donation in 1991. Their efforts bore fruit, when on 4th January 1996, they received the first posthumous eye donation of Late Harishankar Prasad in the state.
Later they got institutional membership from Eye Bank Association of India in year 2002. Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank was also founded in the year 2002.
The only eye bank in Jharkhand to have successfully concluded 907 free cornea transplants, so far, gifting vision to as many needy men and women. Inspired by the Eye Donation Awareness Campaigns by Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank and Eye Donation Awareness Club, Ranchi. Many Past Hon’ble Governors of Jharkhand, Smt.Droupadi Murmu, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, Shri Ramesh Bais, Shri Syed Ahmed, Shri M. O. H. Farook, Shri Ved Marvah, many Chief Ministers of Jharkhand, Hon’ble Shri Babulal Marandi, Shri Arjun Munda, Shri Shibu Soren, Shri Hemant Soren and many Health Ministers of Jharkhand, Shri Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Shri Ramchandra Chandravanshi, Shri Banna Gupta have not only participated in our Eye Donation Awareness Programs but many have also pledged for eye donation. This has brought a massive positive response towards eye donation.
Inspired by the work of Dr.Bharti Kashyap, medical director and her founded Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank, Ranchi, Her Excellency, Smt.Droupadi Murmu , has been pleased to pledge her eyes with the Eye Bank. During the Corona pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank, Ranchi, achieved a historic milestone of successfully conducting 124 free cornea transplants.

• Eye Donation Pledge cards received – 10000
• Total No. of Cornea Transplantation done – 907 Eyes
• Around 100 Cornea transplants every year since past 5 years

Kashyap Memorial Eye bank is a charitable trust has been working with non financial partners in entire Jharkhand to eliminate preventable and treatable blindness. Dr B P Kashyap, Executive Director and Dr Bharti Kashyap, Medical Director and Managing Trustee have been active in Jharkhand since 1991 with strategic focus on these and Eye Donation particularly. Since 2019 Cornea services of Kashyap Memorial Eye Hospital has started doing latest cornea surgeries that is DSEK and DMEK regularly in Jharkhand providing relief to corneal blind people of Jharkhand in a big way.

Protecting sight of people of Jharkhand by taking care of preventable and treatable causes of blindness. Don’t destroy your eyes, donate it to light up some one’s dark life.

Making Jharkhand as a unique state where no one is blind from avoidable and preventable reasons.