Date:09/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/09/stories/2006090902260500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

High Court to spearhead campaign for eye donation

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The High Court of Karnataka is spearheading a campaign, as a part of its golden jubilee celebrations, to pledge and donate eyes.

High Court judges, S.R. Bannurmath, K.L. Manjunath and Subash B. Adi, told presspersons here on Thursday that the court had decided to help donate eyes.

They said judges, advocates and judicial staff had agreed to donate their eyes. Mr. Manjunath said there were 45 million blind people in the world. Of these 12 million were in India. Last year, 24,000 eyes were donated throughout the country.

The State, he said, needed two lakh eyes. Last year, 1,500 eyes were donated.

He said the High Court hoped to inspire more people to donate their eyes. "Our target is 5,000 eyes," Mr. Manjunath said.