People ready to participate in a walkathon, while bikers are being flagged off for a rally in Hubballi on Tuesday to mark the 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Hundreds of people from different walks of life, including doctors, paramedical staff and students, participated in a walkathon and over 100 bikers took part in a bike rally organised in Hubballi as part of the 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight.Titled Operation Punarjyothi – Walk for Sight and Bike Rally, the event was organised by M.M. Joshi Eye Institute and Saksham from KMC-RI, Vidyanagar, to create awareness about corneal blindness and eye donation.The rally was jointly flagged off by Deputy Commissioner of Police Shruti N.S. and president of Dharwad District Union of Working Journalists (DDUWJ) Bandu Kulkarni.KMC-RI director Uday S. Bandre, District Health Officer F.K. Parashuram and District Programme Manager Kalasurmath were among the guests.Ophthalmic surgeons K.V. Satyamurthy, R. Krishnaprasad and Srinivas Joshi highlighted the importance of eye donation, while Mr. Bandu Kulkarni announced that he has pledged his eyes for donation at Bagalkot Medical College.The speakers said that corneal blindness remains a major public health challenge in India.“It is among the leading causes of blindness in people aged below 50 and the second major cause among those aged above 50. An estimated 25,000-30,000 new cases of corneal blindness are added every year, while the country requires nearly one lakh corneal transplantations annually. However, the availability of donated corneas remains far below the requirement,” they said and emphasised that one eye donor can potentially help restore sight to two people.Students from several medical, paramedical and other educational institutions, along with organisations, including Rotary, Lions, Inner Wheel, Youth for Seva, Saksham, District Blindness Control Society and other voluntary groups, participated in the walkathon and bike rally. Published - August 27, 2026 06:36 pm IST
