AIIMS Expands Cornea Retrieval Network with Three New Hospitals
AIIMS National Eye Bank partners with three hospitals to boost cornea retrieval for transplants.
The National Eye Bank at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi has expanded its network by partnering with three additional hospitals to enhance corneal tissue procurement. This strategic move aims to increase the availability of donor corneas for transplantation, a procedure vital for restoring sight to patients with corneal blindness.
New Partnerships for Enhanced Corneal Procurement
The eye bank has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) 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), which focuses on corneal tissue procurement, research, and training.
In 2025, the AIIMS eye bank collected 2,167 corneas, of which 1,775 were retrieved through the HCRP. This program facilitates the identification of potential donors and retrieval of corneas in hospitals, ensuring a steady supply for transplantation needs.
A Legacy of Sight Restoration
Over the past six decades, AIIMS's National Eye Bank has collected over 38,000 corneas and successfully performed transplants for more than 28,000 individuals. The center has also been instrumental in training over 500 ophthalmologists in advanced corneal transplantation techniques.
In 2025 alone, the center conducted 631 optical keratoplasties and has adopted the sutureless Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) technique. This advanced method transplants only the functional endothelial membrane, allowing for potentially faster visual recovery in patients with endothelial dysfunction.
Innovations and Community Engagement
During the 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight, the eye bank highlighted several initiatives, including a fully online death-notification system designed to expedite contact with bereaved families. An online eye-donation pledge system was also introduced, with 100 people pledging their eyes in the past year.
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. Additionally, a RayMed-supported project is helping procure corneal tissue from other eye banks for pediatric keratoplasty.
AIIMS has embarked on a five-year collaboration with Vision-Aid to establish 10 Integrated Vision Centres across the Delhi-NCR region and a dedicated Cerebral Visual Impairment Resource Centre for children. Recognized for its contributions to eye banking, the National Eye Bank was awarded a National Award last year and continues to honor donor families and partner organizations for their support.