Call to impose ban on slaked lime, acids to avoid eye damage

With this in mind, Sankara Nethralaya conducted the OSKON-2018 (Ocular Surface and Keratoprosthesis conference) based on this theme. Calling out to the government to ban the sale of these, Dr Geetha Iyer, Senior Consultant at the Institute, said, “It is the lead initiative by Sankara Nethralaya, along with a few other institutes and NGOs to present an appeal on behalf of the citizens of the nation to ban the sale of Slaked lime and acid.” 

Stressing on the need for parents  to create awareness among their children, Iyer added, “Children tend to play with these packets without knowing the harmful effects of the same.This can affect their eyes, resulting in permanent vision loss.If one eye is affected, stem cell transplant and corneal transplant operations are performed. When both eyes are affected artificial corneal transplant made of plastic is done.” 

Appreciating the efforts by the institute in treating such cases, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said, “This event assumes great significance as it is being held in memory of Professor Giancarlo Falcinelli the legendary Italian ophthalmologist and the father of ‘Modified Osteo-OdontoKeratoprosthesis’, the revolutionary process through which the tissues needed for treatment of the patient’s eye are extracted from the tooth of the patient.”

It is noteworthy to mention that Dr Iyer and Dr Bhaskar Srinivasan serving as senior consultants at Sankara Nethralaya were trained in this revolutionary treatment process directly by the grandmaster and today the institution is a leader in the same, being the only centre in the world to be performing all the different types of keratoprostheses, he added.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, appreciated Shankara Nethralaya’s unique idea of a Mobile Eye Surgical Unit, MESU, a brain child of Dr Badrinath, which was implemented in partnership with IIT Madras, to take the operation theatre to the doorstep of remote areas of rural India. 

This concept should be replicated in other parts of the country, he said. Stating that the concept was introduced in December 2011, a source from the hospital said, “We have conducted 55 camps and 7269 cataract surgeries were conducted so far. This is a doorstep surgery option for patients in villages who are in need.”