On June 13, Hanoi Eye Hospital 2 organized the "Launching Ceremony of the Tissue Bank and the Association for Mobilizing Human Tissue and Organ Donation of Hanoi Eye Hospital 2".

The Tissue Bank of Hanoi Eye Hospital 2 (https://eyebank.vn) was granted an operating license by the Ministry of Health on February 29, 2024 under Decision No. 06/BYT-GPHDNHM with the role of promoting, collecting and preserving corneas, sclera and amniotic membranes. Hanoi Eye Hospital 2 becomes a unit together with the Eye Bank and the Central Eye Hospital to promote and mobilize cornea collection to bring light to patients who are unfortunately blind due to corneal diseases.

With the consent of the Vietnam Association for Human Tissue and Organ Donation, Hanoi Eye Hospital 2 also launched the Association for Human Tissue and Organ Donation to promote and encourage people to donate organs in general and corneas in particular.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, President of the Association for Mobilizing Human Tissue and Organ Donation, presented the decision to establish the Association for Mobilizing Human Tissue and Organ Donation.

On this occasion, Hanoi Eye Hospital 2 also organized the "Launching Ceremony for registration of tissue, organ, cornea and human body part donation" to respond to the Prime Minister's call at the Launching Ceremony of the program "Registering for tissue and organ donation - Giving is forever" on May 19 and deploying activities to mobilize tissue, organ, cornea and human body part donation to all classes of people nationwide.

Donating corneas is a noble act, bringing light and hope to those who have unfortunately lost their sight. In life, eyes are not only the windows to the soul, but also an important tool to help us approach the world. For those who are unfortunately blind, light is an extremely precious and sacred thing. Therefore, donating corneas is not only a noble act, but also a priceless gift that we can give to those who need it.

Since the first cornea donation in April 2007 by Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hoa (in Con Thoi, Kim Son, Ninh Binh) who donated her cornea after her death, the whole country has recorded 963 cornea donors, mainly concentrated in Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh provinces. To date, more than 20 provinces and cities across the country have had people donate their corneas after their death... Thanks to this source of donated corneas, many people have received cornea transplants and returned to normal working and living lives.

It is estimated that Vietnam currently has over 30,000 people who are blind due to corneal disease and need corneal transplant surgery to regain their sight.

Although corneal transplant surgery in Vietnam has reached an advanced and modern level, and the number of surgeons is increasing, due to the scarcity of corneas, the number of corneal donations in recent times has only met a very small number compared to the actual demand. Therefore, many patients are having to accept living in blindness, waiting for the only source of corneas from donors after death.

Delegates launched a movement to register for organ and tissue donation.

Professor, Dr. Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Minister of Health, said that in response to the Prime Minister's call at the launching ceremony of the program to register for organ and tissue donation on the morning of May 19, Hanoi Eye Hospital 2 launched the Tissue Bank, established the Organ Donation Association under the Human Organ and Tissue Donation Association and launched the registration for organ, cornea, and human organ donation. This is a very correct and timely action. It helps promote advocacy, propaganda, and raise people's awareness of the meaning and importance of organ, cornea, and tissue donation.

Thousands of patients are waiting for a chance to see the light again, to be able to read books by themselves, to look at the faces of their loved ones, or simply to see the colors of life. Among them, there are many children, the future buds of the country, who are day by day longing for a miracle so that they can study and play like their peers.

When a person dies, if their corneas are donated, it can bring light to two other people. This is a compassionate act, contributing to bringing new life to sick people. By donating corneas, we not only help the sick, but also leave a valuable legacy to life, making our departure more meaningful than ever.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan spoke at the ceremony.

On this occasion, Professor, Doctor Tran Van Thuan called on everyone to spread the message of Cornea Donation - a small action, but bringing great value, so that each of us can become a shining example, contributing to bringing light and hope to patients who need it.

The tissue/cornea bank was established not only as a place to receive, preserve and distribute donated tissues and corneas, but also as a center for research, training and application of advanced techniques in the field of tissue and corneal transplantation.

Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan affirmed that the Ministry of Health is committed to continuing to support and create the most favorable conditions for the mobilization of tissue, organ and cornea donation. On the other hand, it will closely coordinate with functional agencies and social organizations to implement related programs and projects, ensuring the program is effective and sustainable.

With the joint efforts of the whole society, we will have more and more people willing to donate tissues, organs, and corneas, contributing to saving thousands of lives and bringing hope to waiting patients.