‘Sri Lankan donated us 35,000 eyes, but we lost sight’: Leading Pakistan ophthalmologist

Pakistan is the largest recipient of eye donations from Sri Lanka, having received at least 35,000 corneas since 1967, says Dr Niaz Brohi a leading ophthalmologist of the country.

He is a member of the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society from Pakistan.

Ever since a mob lynched the Sri Lankan national Priyanatha Kumuara in Sialkot on Friday, Dr Brohi says he has been grief-stricken like many others in the country. “We hang our heads in shame,” he says.

He has written to the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society to offer condolence.

Brohi, a former head of the famous Spencer Eye Hospital in Karachi, has performed several cornea transplants so far.

Speaking to Pakistan SAMAA Digital, he said Sri Lanka has donated 83,200 corneas to different countries in the world.

Brohi claims Pakistan is the largest recipient of Sri Lankan cornea donations having received 40% of them. Since 1967, the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society has donated 35,000 eye corneas to Pakistan, he said.

Pakistan’s first cornea transplant was carried out at the Spencer Eye Hospital by Dr MH Rizvi, and the cornea was donated by Sri Lanka, he says.

He lamented the Sialkot incident once again and then said, “Sri Lankan donated us eyes, but we have lost sight.”