AIIMS Expands Cornea Retrieval Network with New Hospital Partnerships
AIIMS National Eye Bank partners with three hospitals to enhance cornea retrieval and transplantation efforts.
The National Eye Bank at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi has expanded its cornea retrieval network by partnering with three additional hospitals. This move is aimed at boosting the availability of donor corneal tissue for transplantation purposes.
New Partnerships for Enhanced Cornea Retrieval
The eye bank has formalized Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr. RML Hospital, Indira Gandhi Hospital in Dwarka, and Northern Railway Central Hospital. These collaborations fall under the AIIMS-Delhi Hospital Corneal Retrieval Programme (HCRP), which focuses on corneal tissue procurement, research, and training.
The HCRP plays a crucial role in identifying potential donors, counseling bereaved families, and retrieving corneas directly from hospitals. This initiative has proven successful, with 81.9% of the 2,167 corneas collected in 2025 being sourced through the program.
Ongoing Efforts and Innovations
AIIMS has been at the forefront of corneal transplantation, performing over 1,300 transplants annually for the past four years. In 2025 alone, the center conducted transplants on 1,775 patients with corneal blindness. The eye bank has also pioneered advanced techniques such as sutureless Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK), which facilitates faster visual rehabilitation by transplanting only the functional endothelial membrane in patients with endothelial dysfunction.
The eye bank's efforts were highlighted during the 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight program, where they showcased a fully online death-notification system designed to expedite contact with donor families, as well as an online eye-donation pledge system. In the past year, 100 individuals pledged their eyes through this system.
Broader Impact and Future Plans
Looking ahead, AIIMS is working on several initiatives to further enhance eye care and corneal transplantation. The eye bank has distributed over 4,652 vials of its indigenous corneal preservation medium, ExStorSol, to 130 eye banks across 24 states during 2025-26. A project supported by RayMed is also underway to procure corneal tissue from other eye banks for pediatric keratoplasty.
Additionally, AIIMS has partnered with Vision-Aid for a five-year project to establish 10 Integrated Vision Centres across Delhi-NCR and create a dedicated Cerebral Visual Impairment Resource Centre for children. The National Eye Bank, which received a national award last year for its contributions to eye banking, continues to recognize and honor donor families, hospitals, NGOs, and partner eye banks for their collaborative efforts.