AIIMS Expands Cornea Retrieval Network with Three New Hospitals
AIIMS National Eye Bank partners with three hospitals to boost corneal transplants under its Hospital Corneal Retrieval Programme.
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 aims to enhance the availability of donor corneal tissue for transplantation. The Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed with Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr. 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) initiated this year.
Strengthening Corneal Transplantation Efforts
The AIIMS National Eye Bank has been at the forefront of corneal transplants, having collected 2,167 corneas and performed 1,775 transplants in 2025 alone. The HCRP has been crucial in this effort, with 81.9% of the corneas retrieved through the program last year. The program enables eye-bank counsellors and technicians to identify potential donors, counsel bereaved families, and retrieve corneas at hospitals. Over the past four years, the center has consistently performed over 1,300 corneal transplants annually.
Innovative Techniques and Training
In addition to expanding its network, AIIMS has also embraced advanced surgical techniques such as Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK), which involves transplanting only the functional endothelial membrane, allowing for quicker visual rehabilitation. The eye bank has also trained more than 500 ophthalmologists in advanced corneal transplantation techniques over its 61-year history.
National Eye Donation Fortnight and Future Initiatives
During the 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight, AIIMS highlighted its advancements, including the implementation of a fully online death-notification system to expedite contact with bereaved families and an online eye-donation pledge system. Over the past year, 100 individuals have pledged their eyes to the eye bank. The center has also distributed over 4,652 vials of its indigenous corneal preservation medium, ExStorSol, to 130 eye banks across 24 states in 2025-26.
Further emphasizing its commitment to eye care, AIIMS has partnered with Vision-Aid to launch 10 Integrated Vision Centres across Delhi-NCR and a dedicated Cerebral Visual Impairment Resource Centre for children over the next five years. The National Eye Bank, recognized with a National Award for its contributions, continues to honor donor families, hospitals, NGOs, and partner eye banks for their support.