No urgency in setting up Eye Bank

16/10/2018

Notwithstanding repeated directions from the State High Court, the Government is showing no urgency in making functional much needed Eye Bank in Jammu although process in this regard was set into motion six years back and crores of rupees have already been spent on raising infrastructure. In the year 2012, several PILs were filed in J&K High Court seeking establishment of Eye Bank in the State as the lone Eye Bank of the State in GMC Jammu was closed down several years back due to alleged lack of sufficient legal framework and some infrastructure back-up. On the directions of the Division Bench of the High Court, the process for establishing two Eye Banks, one at GMC Jammu and other at GMC Srinagar was started in the same year but even after lapse of over five years, Jammuites are waiting for this important facility while on the other hand, the GMC Srinagar has not only established the Eye Bank but also made it functional since last year. Pertinently, more than 70 cornea transplantations have been done by doctors of GMC Srinagar since the Eye Bank was made functional there.
However, the Eye Bank in GMC Jammu is yet to be made functional though crores of rupees have been spent on raising infrastructure. Civil work was completed long ago by spending over Rs 1.10 crore and some ancillary items were also procured by spending over Rs 10 lakh. Most of the library books have also been purchased while ambulance for the Eye Bank has been provided by Directorate of Health Services Jammu. The recruitment of additional staff for the Eye Bank has also been done. However, the registration of the bank is still pending for want of some specific medical equipment and some months back the hospital authorities managed to get conditional registration for three months but that too was withdrawn last month as Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation could not provide three specific equipments to the Ophthalmology Department within the stipulated time frame, which was the pre-condition for the registration.
In last over one year, J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited floated tenders three times for procuring requisite machinery and medical equipment for the Eye Bank but in vain as in some cases no bid was received while in some cases, only single bid was received and if the GMC authorities remain dependent on the Corporation for procurement of machinery and equipments, the Eye Bank may not become reality. However, few days back some of the equipments for which single bids were received, have been finalized for placing order, by the Rates Reasonable Committee which comprised officials of Corporation and some designated doctors including HoDOpthalmology.

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