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 partnering with three additional hospitals. This move aims to bolster the availability of donor tissue for corneal transplants.
New Collaborations to Boost Corneal Transplants
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 partnerships fall under the AIIMS-Delhi Hospital Corneal Retrieval Programme (HCRP) and focus on corneal tissue procurement, research, and training.
In 2025, the AIIMS eye bank collected 2,167 corneas, performing transplants on 1,775 patients with corneal blindness. The HCRP was instrumental in retrieving 81.9% of these corneas. The program's hospital-based approach allows eye-bank counselors and technicians to identify potential donors, counsel families, and retrieve corneas efficiently.
Achievements and Innovations in Eye Banking
Over the past 61 years, the National Eye Bank has collected over 38,000 corneas and facilitated visual rehabilitation for more than 28,000 individuals through transplantation. The center has also trained over 500 ophthalmologists in advanced corneal transplant techniques. In 2025 alone, the eye bank conducted 631 optical keratoplasties.
The AIIMS eye bank has adopted sutureless Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK), a technique that transplants only the functional endothelial membrane in patients with endothelial dysfunction, potentially enhancing recovery times.
Technological Advancements and Community Engagement
The eye bank has implemented an online death-notification system to streamline contact with bereaved families, alongside an online eye-donation pledge system that saw 100 pledges last year. Additionally, the eye bank supplied over 4,652 vials of its indigenous corneal preservation medium, ExStorSol, to 130 eye banks across 24 states during 2025-26.
AIIMS has also embarked on a five-year collaboration with Vision-Aid to establish 10 Integrated Vision Centres across Delhi-NCR and a Cerebral Visual Impairment Resource Centre for children. These initiatives aim to enhance eye care services and support for visually impaired individuals.
Recognizing the contributions to eye banking, AIIMS honored donor families, hospitals, and partner organizations at the 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight. The National Eye Bank's efforts were acknowledged with a National Award last year for their significant contributions to the field.