EYE BANK TURNS 25: A VISION OF SERVICE

Celebrating its 25th anniversary today, the Santa Lucia International Eye Bank of Manila, or simply the Eye Bank, changed the landscape of Philippine ophthalmology by providing an organized and state-of-the-art system of retrieval, processing, evaluation, storage and equitable distribution of transplantable corneal and scleral tissue across the country.

Since its establishment in 1995, the Eye Bank, which is owned and operated by the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines (EFP), has retrieved and processed 25,127 corneas and sclera, 17,360 of which passed all safety and quality standards and distributed to surgeons and patients. It has served patients from all walks of life in both private and government hospitals as far north as Cagayan Valley to as far south as Davao.

Corneal blindness is among the top five causes of visual disability and blindness around the world. The lack of corneal donors and scarcity of transplantable corneal tissue in most parts of the world, especially in areas in Asia and Africa where the incidence of corneal blindness is highest,

An estimated 10 million people need corneal transplants worldwide each year, but only around 185,000 of such operations are performed.

In the Philippines, Eye Bank performs around 500 to 800 transplants each year, depending on the number of corneal donors. Its goal is to do around 1,500 a year by the end of 2021.

As of March 2020, Eye Bank has established a network of four operational eye tissue retrieval centers in Department of Health (Doh)-run hospitals in Luzon and the Visayas. The centers are located at Baguio General Hospital, Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center in Cabanatuan City, Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center, and Cagayan Valley Medical Center.

Retrieval program

These are in addition to its retrieval program in Cebu. Another retrieval center in the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban was inaugurated on March 13, and another is planned for opening in Davao before year-end.

From the start of Eye Bank’s operations up to 2017, eye tissue for transplant came mainly from Metro Manila. But through the centers, Eye Bank was able to institutionalize cornea and eye donations outside the capital. A significant increase in the number of tissues retrieved in the provinces was recorded last year, thanks to support from the DOH and the Philippine Network for Organ Sharing.

The coronavirus pandemic has made Eye Bank’s challenging task even more daunting.

But while the crisis had suspended the retrieval of eye tissue for all of the centers during the first two months of the lockdown, Eye Bank still found ways to supply tissue for emergency transplants.

“The last 25 years have brought the Eye Bank more clarity of vision. We look back at our past triumphs and failures; our leaps and setbacks, with both gratitude and humility. We also see that we need to continue building a network of retrieval centers while pursuing a more aggressive mass educational campaign and improve even more on our technology,’’ said Dr. Minguita Padilla, the EFP founder, president and chief executive officer.

“When one thinks of eye banking and corneal transplantation, it is the technical aspect and surgical skill that often come to mind. Not many realize that none of it would be possible without the generous hearts that made the decision to sign donor cards or donate the corneas or eyes of their loved ones during their time of immeasurable grief,’’ Padilla added. “The eye bank would also not be where it is today without the selfless dedication of those who continuously strive to make corneas available to fill the endless demand.’’

For more details, visit www. eyebankphil.org; and search #Eyebankph25 or #PartnersinSight on Twitter.