AIIMS Expands Cornea Retrieval Network with Three New Hospitals
AIIMS National Eye Bank partners with three hospitals to boost cornea retrieval and transplantation efforts.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi has taken a significant step to enhance its cornea retrieval capabilities by partnering with three additional hospitals. This expansion is part of the AIIMS-Delhi Hospital Corneal Retrieval Programme (HCRP), aimed at increasing the availability of donor tissue for corneal transplants.
New Partnerships in Cornea Retrieval
The National Eye Bank at AIIMS has signed 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 partnerships focus on corneal tissue procurement, research, and training, enhancing AIIMS's efforts to address corneal blindness.
In 2025 alone, AIIMS collected 2,167 corneas and performed transplants on 1,775 patients with corneal blindness. Over the last four years, the eye bank has consistently performed over 1,300 corneal transplants annually, highlighting its critical role in ocular healthcare.
Innovative Techniques and Achievements
AIIMS has been at the forefront of adopting advanced techniques in corneal transplantation, including the sutureless Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK). This technique involves transplanting only the functional endothelial membrane, which allows for quicker visual rehabilitation in patients with endothelial dysfunction.
Moreover, the National Eye Bank boasts a robust history of contributions to the field, having collected over 38,000 corneas and rehabilitated more than 28,000 individuals through transplantation. The center has also trained over 500 ophthalmologists in advanced surgical methods.
Technological Advancements and Community Engagement
During the recent 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight, AIIMS showcased its technological advancements, including a fully online death-notification system and an eye-donation pledge system, which saw 100 new pledges over the past year. The institution also distributed over 4,652 vials of its indigenous corneal preservation medium, ExStorSol, to 130 eye banks across 24 states in 2025-26.
In collaboration with Vision-Aid, AIIMS has initiated a five-year project to establish 10 Integrated Vision Centres across Delhi-NCR and a specialized Cerebral Visual Impairment Resource Centre for children. The National Eye Bank, recognized with a National Award for its contributions, also honored donor families, hospitals, NGOs, and partner eye banks during the program.