Background: 0.9% of the total blindness in India is attributable to corneal causes which can be treated by keratoplasty. Lower rates of eye donation are the major hurdle for doing keratoplasty. Gujarat is one of the leading states in India for eye donation and keratoplasty yet rates of eye donation are low and it needs to escalate. Discerning medical students will spread knowledge in society and can augment the eye donation rates not only in Gujarat but also in India. Keeping this in mind, this study was designed to evaluate eye donation knowledge among medical students.
Aim and Objective: To evaluate the level of understanding, beliefs and behaviour pattern i.e. overall awareness about eye donation among medical students.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross?sectional, descriptive study conducted on medical students at a tertiary institute. A questionnaire containing 20 questions based on understanding, beliefs and behaviour pattern - mainly willingness to donate eyes after death, was given to all the students and the responses were recorded and analysed.
Results: All 301 students who participated had understanding that eyes can be donated after death, but only 21.9% had proper knowledge of the ideal time of donation i.e. within 6 hours of death. Just 29.9% knew that eye bank is the correct place to contact for eye donation. About 34.9% students believed that eyes can be donated by near relative’s consent without prior pledging. 59.1% of the students had an idea that cornea is the part which is transplanted after eye donation. The main reason observed by the students for lower rates of eye donation was lack of awareness (38.9%). Educational institutes, medical personnel and television were the important sources of information about eye donation according to the students.
Conclusion: Understanding level appears to be less, and more efforts are required for imparting it to medical students, who in turn will transfer it to the mass population, resulting in increased eye donation.
Keywords: Eye donation, Keratoplasty, Awareness, Medical Students.
