AIIMS Expands Cornea Retrieval Network with Three New Hospitals
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 signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with three additional hospitals. This strategic move aims to bolster the availability of donor tissues for corneal transplants.
New Collaborations to Boost Corneal Transplants
The newly added hospitals include the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, Indira Gandhi Hospital in Dwarka, and Northern Railway Central Hospital. These partnerships are part of the AIIMS-Delhi Hospital Corneal Retrieval Programme (HCRP), which focuses on corneal tissue procurement, research, and training.
In 2025, the eye bank collected 2,167 corneas and conducted transplants on 1,775 patients suffering from corneal blindness. The HCRP was responsible for retrieving 81.9% of these corneas. Over the past four years, the center has consistently performed more than 1,300 corneal transplants annually.
Advancements in Corneal Transplant Techniques
AIIMS has been at the forefront of corneal transplantation techniques, including the adoption of sutureless Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK). This advanced technique involves transplanting only the functional endothelial membrane, which can accelerate visual rehabilitation for patients with endothelial dysfunction.
In addition, the National Eye Bank has pioneered a fully online death-notification system to expedite contact with bereaved families and an online eye-donation pledge system, resulting in 100 new pledges in the past year.
Broader Impact and Future Initiatives
Since its inception 61 years ago, the National Eye Bank has collected over 38,000 corneas and facilitated the visual rehabilitation of more than 28,000 individuals. It has also trained over 500 ophthalmologists in advanced transplantation techniques.
Looking ahead, a collaboration with Vision-Aid will see the establishment of 10 Integrated Vision Centres across Delhi-NCR and a Cerebral Visual Impairment Resource Centre for children. Additionally, the eye bank has distributed more than 4,652 vials of its proprietary corneal preservation medium, ExStorSol, to 130 eye banks across 24 states in 2025-26.
Recognized with a National Award for its contributions to eye banking, the center recently honored donor families, hospitals, NGOs, and partner eye banks at the 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight event.