Pune, September 11: THE Armed Forces Medical College Eye Bank organised a Poster-cum-Slogan competition last Thursday to educate and motivate the youth on the importance of eye donation. On this occasion, Lt Gen S K Kaul, VSM, director and commandant, AFMC, signed the eye donation form pledging his eyes and distributed prizes and certificates to 49 participants in the poster competition.

Lt Gen Kaul expressed satisfaction over the level of awareness of the participants about eye donation and at the artistic and intellectual standard of the posters and slogans displayed. He also exhorted all those present to pledge their eyes and lead by example in this noble crusade to eradicate corneal blindness.

Maj Gen G Rajagopal, dean and deputy commandant, AFMC, Brig A S Narula, VSM, Brig G S Chopra, SM, along with more than 500 officers, soldiers, families, medical and nursing students pledged their eyes during the ceremony. According to Col Ajay Banarji, Prof and head, Department of Ophthalmology, AFMC, a total of almost 1,000 people have pledged their eyes with the AFMC Eye Bank during the eye donation fortnight this year. Speaking on the occasion, he highlighted the glaring gap between the requirement and actual donation of eyes in our country, and clarified some common myths and misconceptions about eye donation.