Pooja Harolia, Senior Nursing Officer at the Eye Bank of the Department of Ophthalmology, AIIMS Bhopal, has brought national recognition to the institute. She presented her research paper at the 16th Annual National Conference of the Eye Bank Association of India (EBAI), held in Kochi, Kerala, and won first position in the Free Paper Presentation category. She was felicitated on stage with the top award by EBAI National President Prof. Dr. Namrata Sharma.
Pooja Harolia completed this research paper under the guidance and supervision of Prof. Dr. Bhavna Sharma, Head, Department of Ophthalmology, AIIMS Bhopal. At the conference, she presented her research on the topic “Microbiological spectrum and probability of infection transmitting from ocular tissues of enucleated eyes harvested from septicemic donors.”
In simple terms, this study examines how likely it is for infection to be transmitted to another person through corneas obtained from the eyes of deceased persons who suffered from severe blood infection (septicemia).
Eminent eye specialists from across the country, EBAI National President Prof. Dr. Namrata Sharma, the association’s General Secretary, and the Organising Secretary, all praised Pooja Harolia’s research at the conference.
EBAI President Prof. Dr. Namrata Sharma, committee members, and medical experts from across the country present there considered this research extremely important for preventing blindness and addressing the cornea shortage in the country.
Experts said that based on the findings of this study, the possibilities of safely retrieving corneas (corneal retrieval) even from patients suffering from septicemia should be considered in the future. According to experts, this research gives the medical world a new perspective to think further in this direction, which will help more people regain their eyesight through corneal transplants in the future.
Lt Gen (Dr) Narendra Kotwal (R), Executive Director, AIIMS Bhopal, also extended his heartfelt congratulations to the entire Department of Ophthalmology. He said, “AIIMS Bhopal is continuously not only providing world-class medical facilities but is also strengthening its identity among the country’s leading institutions in the field of medical research and innovation.”
