National Eye Bank, best in Asia - Asian specialists

Suraj A Bandara

The Sri Lanka National Eye Bank (SLNEB) which was established an year ago, has gone into the record books as the largest free donor of corneas in the world. This was stated by a group of Asian Eye Bank specialists who are on tour of Sri Lanka, the National Eye Bank announced, Tuesday.

'The reason for this generosity and compassion shown by Sri Lankans to donate a large number of corneas is the nurturing of Buddhism which inculcates the value and importance of donating one's organs for the benefit of fellow human beings as a noble deed', the eye specialists said.

'The Buddhist influence has made Sri Lankans the largest eye donors in the world. 'It is an honour for Sri Lanka to have one of the best eye banks in the world,' they say.

The National Eye Bank was constructed on the directives of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the National Eye Hospital premises. he bank provides high quality corneas to Sri Lankan patients as well as patients from other countries, especially those from other Asian countries and to foreign hospitals. The National Eye Bank was a donation from Singapore following a request made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa last year.

The Asian Eye specialists further said that the National Eye Bank in Sri Lanka is the best in Asia and it will certainly be the best in the world.