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He is a civil engineer by profession. But his grit and determination to provide eyesight to visually challenged persons saw him donning the role of an ophthalmologist surgeon also.

Kola Anna Reddy, a senior member of the Lions Club, joined the movement in 2003 and become the district chairman for eye-ball collections in 2005. He has conducted surgeries on more than 600 persons after their death in Karimnagar, Adilabad, Medak and Warangal districts and collected cornea to provide eyesight to the visually challenged.

Inspired by his grandmother’s motivation to donate eyes, he joined the Lions Club activities and remained the frontrunner in the campaign, educating people about the importance of donating eyes. He also motivated more than 6,000 persons to pledge their eyes to the Lions Club of Karimnagar. With more donors coming forward, doctors at the Lions Eye Hospital found it hard to collect the cornea as they were preoccupied with surgeries and treatment at the hospital.

Practical training

At this stage, Mr. Anna Reddy came forward to undergo training in collection of cornea at L.V. Prasad Eye Hospital, Sankara Nethralaya and Aurobindo Eye Hospital in Chennai under the supervision of a surgeon and assistant. He was given practical training in the collection of cornea from sheep eyes.

In 2008, he started collection of human cornea under the guidance of expert doctors. Now, Mr. Anna Reddy collects cornea on his own from various parts of the district and sends them to the L.V. Prasad Eye Hospital and Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Hyderabad.

“Sometimes I receive calls at odd hours from interior villages also. I attend to them immediately and collect the cornea,” he says.

Mr. Anna Reddy also motivated relatives of over 20 families to donate the dead bodies of their kin to the two private medical colleges in Karimnagar town for medical purposes. “Though I am unable to focus on my main profession of civil engineering, I get a lot of satisfaction by helping the visually challenged get back their sight,” he says.