LUCKNOW, Aug. 1 -- With demand for corneal transplants on the rise, the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) is moving to establish its own dedicated eye bank, a complex initiative which requires advanced infrastructure, skilled personnel and strict adherence to national regulations. Currently, government-run eye banks in Uttar Pradesh are located at King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Sarojini Naidu Medical College in Agra, Sitapur Eye Hospital, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology in Prayagraj, and BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur. Despite being a premier super-specialty institute, SGPGI lacks an eye bank, limiting its ophthalmology department from conducting corneal transplants. The institute is now striving to bridge this gap. According to Dr KK Singh, the incharge of the media cell at KGMU, approximately 150 corneal transplants are conducted annually at their eye bank, which has been operational for about a decade with a team of six to seven staff members. While public hospitals provide some services, experts estimate that the region requires over 1,000 corneal transplants annually. Most of the procedures currently take place in the private sector, making access difficult for economically disadvantaged patients. "This is why establishing an eye bank is not just important, it's urgent," said professor Radhakrishna Dhiman, the director of SGPGI. "Setting up an eye bank is far more than a routine healthcare addition. From state-of-the-art laboratory design to stringent donor protocols, every detail must meet national and global standards," he added. The facility will require specialised rooms for tissue processing, instrument sterilisation, serological testing, and proper documentation. Additional infrastructure includes administrative spaces, reception areas, reliable power supply, and secure, temperature-controlled storage -- all critical for uninterrupted operations. Dr Rajesh Harshvardhan, head of the hospital administration at SGPGI and joint director of the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO), said: "We have planned expert consultations with specialists from AIIMS in Delhi, Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College and SN Medical College in Agra among others. Deliberations will be held on August 3 and 13 to finalise technical and operational guidelines." Establishing an eye bank also demands a skilled workforce, including a medical director, trained technicians, counsellors, and administrative staff working in shifts. These teams must follow rigorous screening, tissue evaluation, consent, and documentation protocols as laid out under national transplant regulations, he said. On the equipment front, precision is non-negotiable. Essential instruments like slit lamps, laminar flow hoods, and specular microscopes are required for evaluating donor tissues. Corneas must be stored at strictly maintained temperatures in frost-free refrigerators, while surgical and sterilisation tools must meet hygiene and safety standards....