Member Article

The Tej Kohli Foundation – Restoring Sight To The Blind

Disease of and damage to the cornea are the most common causes of blindness around the globe, accounting for greater 4.5 million cases of corneal blindness in India alone.

Cornea transplant surgery can restore clear vision, reduce eye pain and improve the cosmetic appearance of a diseased or damaged cornea. The surgical procedure, also known as keratoplasty, is a simple procedure with a demonstrated success rate of more than 90 percent.

The cornea is the dome-shaped, transparent surface of the eye that allows the eye to focus. The cornea is composed of clear tissue that covers the front of each eye. When light enters the eye, it first must pass through the cornea. In order for a person to see, the cornea must remain clear. However disease or trauma can damage the cornea, causing the cornea to become cloudy which restricts vision or causes complete blindness.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports the within the 4.5 cases of blindness in India, more than 90 percent are patients that are younger than 45 years of age; 60 percent of that number are children younger than 12 years of age.

The staggering number of blind children in India is commonly caused by bacterial, fungal or viral infections, the result of malnutrition, caused by congenital disease or the result of eye injuries. The majority of these cases of corneal blindness are preventable: however early care is crucial. When the cornea becomes too damaged to work efficiently, a corneal transplant is a hopeful option.

Cornea transplant surgery is a delicate operation to replace opaque corneas with a clear and healthy cornea obtained from a human donor. Anyone, regardless of age, can give the gift of sight by pledging to donate corneas for transplant upon their death. Upon donation, two people will regain their sight. A single cornea is given to each of them. Donor and recipient identity is always kept confidential.

Billionaire businessman Tej Kohli, philanthropist and founder of the Tej Kohli Foundation, targets treating curable blindness in India. Mr., Kohli notes, “It’s a huge problem, but an entirely fixable one with the right interventions. Our active approach to philanthropy sees us working alongside experts on the ground to make sure as many people as possible can benefit from free health checks, glasses, treatments and surgery where necessary. We believe the benefits of restoring sight go farther than the treated individual: their family, their community and society as a whole benefits – and that’s where we see return on the investment.”

The Tej Kohli Foundation provides monetary grants to assist in offsetting the cost of corneal transplants carried out by Niramaya, a Gurgaon based NGO. These generous contributions provide not only for Gurgaon; they include additional grants for every additional city in India in which the blindness intervention program expands. Indian health experts predict that the innovative humanitarian outreach program will grant the gift of sight to tens of thousands of visually impaired children and adults in India.

The Tej Kohli Foundation notes, “Kohli is an international businessman and philanthropist, with a diverse portfolio of commercial and charitable operations in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and India. His business interests range from e-commerce and IT, to real estate and reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. The programs of Kohli foundation are comprised of passionate people committed to addressing the critical needs of young people in India, Costa Rica and beyond. By inspiring communities, states and nations, by motivating individuals and institutions, by supporting local leaders with programs and facilities at community level, we will make a difference in the lives of millions of children.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Marlene Affeld .