Bangalore is host to the first ever "Blind Walk"
Bangalore, August 24, 2014: The world';s first ever Blind Walk took place in Bangalore today from the Metro station on M.G.Road to Bal Bhavan in Cubbon Park. The unique walk was flagged off by Chief Disability Commissioner of India, ShriPrasanna Kumar Pinchaand the guest at the concluding program featuring Samarthanam was Shri. M.N.Reddy, Commissioner of Police, Bangalore. The walk had over 600 people from different walks of life participate with the primary goal of giving the visually impaired an opportunity to see. Similar walks will take place over the next two Sundays at Jayanagar and Yeshwantpur. The walk has been organized by "Project Vision" with the primary objective of spreading awareness on blindness and to educate the public on avenues of pledging one's eyes. More than 100 orgnisations were represented at the walk.
Amway India Enterprise was the partner for the walk. Mr. Mr Sujoy Bose. Associate Vice President, South, Amway India felicitated the program.
The startling figures of blindness in India prompted Fr.GeorgeKannanthanam, Director - Project Vision to initiate an innovative way of reaching out to the public to draw their attention to the blind in India and inform them of avenues to pledge their eyes. Speaking at the commencement of the walk, Fr.George said, "One of the things that should make us think as a nation is the fact that more than one third of the world';s blind persons are in our country. The number is quite shocking: 15 million out of the 39 million. This shocking figure touched a few of us very deeply and we decided to do something. We started The Project Vision with the vision, “let everyone see”. Fifty of us committed ourselves to two objectives: to make eye donation a norm in the society and to create opportunities for the permanently blind to live a decent life". "While eye donation can bring light to over three million blind persons, the other 80% can live better through various facilities that could be created for them. We have committed ourselves to make Bangalore the Eye Donation Capital of the World.” he added.
One of the objectives of Project vision is ot make eye donation process easy and effective. 104 common call number has been created in Karnataka which makes it possible for anyone from anywhere in the state to contact the eye bank close to them within the six golden hours in which the eyes can be harvested. Fr George proposed to the National Commissioner to make this into a common number for the whole country.
Since October 2013, Project Vision has been able to move ahead in this movement - and around 10,000 persons have been motivated to pledge their eyes. All the major religions of the world support the principles of organ donation and transplantation. However, within each religion there is a different school of thought, which means that views may differ. All the major religions accept that organ donation is an individual choice. The Project Vision has been engaged with faith leaders across religions and communities to raise awareness of organ donation and transplantation.
Eye Donation
Organ transplantation has been the major beneficiary of the recent development in biotechnology; cornea by virtue of its avascularity is the most successful among all forms of organ transplantation. Corneal blindness over time has become major cause of treatable blindness, ironically the impact of shortage of donor corneas is most glaring in the developing countries. Collection of donor eyes therefore becomes priority in any organized effort to alleviate needless scourge of blindness.
Background and Rationale:
Out of 15 million blind in India, Corneal blindness is estimated to the tune of 2.5 million. The main scope is in the line of eye donations. At present approximately 35,000 corneas are collected in the country every year, whereas 150,000 are required annually to combat corneal blindness. As a result, the patient line-up and wait to get a corneal transplant keeps getting longer with each passing day. Furthermore, the cost of cornea transplant in addition to unavailability for corneas makes it practically impossible for underprivileged people to access these medical remedies.
Till recently all national health policies targeted cataract, which accounts for 80% of the needless blindness. On the other hand corneal blindness mainly affecting the young population, deprives productive health years and country';s economy as well. There is a need for organizations and individuals to come forward and work towards promotion of eye donations, and procurement of eyes, so as to address this need.
The Founder
The idea of The Project Vision was conceived by Fr. George Kannanthanam, Catholic Priest and Social Worker. He has been involved with various social programs for the marginalized groups since 25 years. He founded the HOPE Society in 1988 to work among alcoholics and drug addicts. He lived with the leprosy affected persons at the Sumanahalli Centre for 12 years. He initiated SUPPORT centres in Bangalore and Belgaum to provide HIV affected destitute persons care and rehabilitation.
With a Masters in Social Work and Doctorate in Sociology, Fr George has written the book named THE EMPTY NEST, on the rehabilitation model for leprosy. He was conferred National Award from Government of India which was received from President Abdul Kalam in 2003, Mother Award for selfless service in 2012 and Best Citizen of Bangalore Award from NammaBenguluru Foundation in 2013.
For more information, please contact:
Fr.GeorgeKannanthanam, Director,
HOPE, 28/12, 18th Cross, Malleswaram, Bangalore – 560055, INDIA
Phone: +91 98458 11515
Email:
http://www.theprojectvision.org/
RSVP:
Anand H Doddanna,
Event Director, Mobile: +91 9886044016
Email:
Sanjay Bose, Mobile: 9945266885