Jammu, Aug 07 (KNO): In a significant development aimed at strengthening organ and tissue donation and transplantation services in Jammu and Kashmir, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Vijaypur, Jammu, has been granted registration for providing Eye Banking Services, Corneal Transplantation, and Eye/Cornea Retrieval Facilities under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994.
The registration marks an important milestone for the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) J&K and is expected to provide further momentum to the region’s eye donation programme while improving access to corneal transplantation for patients suffering from corneal blindness and other conditions affecting the cornea.
The certificate of registration has been issued following a series of detailed inspections conducted by the team of the competent authority. During the inspection process, the facilities, infrastructure, equipment, and manpower available at AIIMS Vijaypur were assessed against the prescribed requirements for undertaking eye banking, cornea retrieval, and transplantation-related activities. The registration will remain valid for five years from the date of its issuance, subject to applicable provisions, guidelines, and regulatory requirements under the law.
Officials associated with the initiative told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the approval represents a major step towards creating a stronger and more organised framework for eye donation and transplantation services in the Union Territory. With the registration in place, AIIMS Vijaypur will be able to contribute to the systematic retrieval, preservation, and utilisation of donated corneas, besides providing corneal transplantation services to eligible patients.
Corneal blindness is among the important causes of avoidable or treatable vision loss, with corneal transplantation offering a potential route to restoration of vision for appropriately selected patients. However, the availability of donated corneas and access to specialised transplantation facilities remain critical components of any successful corneal transplant programme.
The development is expected to strengthen the entire chain of eye donation—from awareness and registration of donors to retrieval, preservation, evaluation, and transplantation of corneal tissue. The registration is also likely to encourage greater public participation in eye donation by creating greater awareness about the importance of donating corneal tissue after death.
For SOTTO J&K, the recognition of AIIMS Vijaypur is being viewed as an important addition to the existing institutional capacity for organ and tissue donation and transplantation in the region. Strengthening such facilities is crucial for building a coordinated transplantation ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir and ensuring that donated tissues are utilised efficiently and transparently.
The move assumes added significance as the health sector continues to focus on improving specialised tertiary-care services within the Union Territory, reducing the need for patients to travel outside J&K for advanced treatment. The availability of corneal transplantation at AIIMS Vijaypur is expected to particularly benefit patients from Jammu and adjoining areas who require specialised ophthalmic care.
The operationalisation and strengthening of eye banking and corneal transplantation facilities at AIIMS Vijaypur could emerge as an important component of J&K's broader efforts to promote deceased donation, expand tissue transplantation capacity, and provide sight-restoring treatment to patients suffering from corneal blindness—(KNO)