AIIMS Rajkot performs first corneal transplant, restores hope for 65-year-old
Synopsis
AIIMS Rajkot has crossed a significant milestone with its first-ever corneal transplant — an emergency procedure that saved the eye of a 65-year-old woman whose two-month infection had defeated every other treatment. For Saurashtra's largely rural patient base, this is not just one surgery; it is the arrival of specialised eye care that previously required travelling hundreds of kilometres.
Key Takeaways
AIIMS Rajkot performed its first corneal transplant on 10 August , marking the launch of specialised keratoplasty services at the institute.
The patient, a 65-year-old woman from Kodinar, Gir Somnath district , had suffered from infective keratitis for two months without response to medical treatment.
Surgery was led by cornea specialists Dr Mamta Singh and Dr Kedar Nemiwant , supported by a five-member team.
The donor cornea was arranged by Rajkot Civil Hospital and Dr Kamal Dodiya's team on an emergency basis.
The service will now provide patients across Saurashtra and neighbouring regions access to corneal care closer to home.
The department plans to expand eye donation awareness alongside advanced ophthalmic services.
AIIMS Rajkot has successfully performed its first corneal transplant surgery, providing emergency care to a 65-year-old woman from Kodinar in Gir Somnath district whose two-month-long corneal infection had failed to respond to any medical treatment. The milestone keratoplasty, carried out on 10 August, marks the formal launch of specialised corneal transplantation services at the institute.
The Patient's Condition
The woman had been battling infective keratitis — a severe infection of the cornea — for approximately two months. Despite intensive medical management, the infection continued to worsen, causing significant structural damage to her cornea. With the eye at risk of irreversible harm, doctors determined that an emergency therapeutic corneal transplant was the only viable course of action.
The procedure was designed to eliminate the active infection, preserve the structural integrity of the eye, and maximise the patient's chances of retaining useful vision in the future.
The Surgical Team
The complex surgery was performed by cornea specialists Dr Mamta Singh and Dr Kedar Nemiwant from the Department of Ophthalmology at AIIMS Rajkot. They were supported by Dr Savita, Dr Vishruti Trivedi, Dr Manish, Dr Amit, and Dr Shivam.
The donor cornea was arranged by Rajkot Civil Hospital, with the ophthalmology department specifically acknowledging Dr Kamal Dodiya and his team for promptly facilitating the tissue needed for the emergency procedure.
What This Means for the Region
The launch of corneal transplantation services at AIIMS Rajkot is expected to significantly benefit patients across Saurashtra and neighbouring regions, who previously had to travel long distances to access such specialised eye care. With this service now available locally, the burden on patients — many from rural and semi-urban backgrounds — is expected to ease considerably.
The ophthalmology department said it would also focus on 'promoting awareness about eye donation alongside expanding advanced eye-care services,' signalling that this first surgery is the beginning of a broader ophthalmic programme.
Institutional Context
AIIMS Rajkot is headed by Executive Director Dr L. N. Dorairajan, with Colonel Ankur Pratap Singh serving as Deputy Director. Officials described the introduction of corneal transplantation as part of the institute's continuing expansion of advanced healthcare facilities. This comes amid a broader national push to strengthen tertiary medical infrastructure in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities through the AIIMS network, which now spans multiple states.
Notably, corneal blindness remains one of the leading causes of avoidable vision loss in India, with a significant gap between the demand for donor corneas and their availability — making institutional efforts around eye donation awareness particularly consequential.
Point of View
And corneal blindness — often treatable — has historically gone unaddressed due to distance and donor shortages. The real test for AIIMS Rajkot now is whether this first procedure translates into a sustained corneal transplant programme, backed by a functional eye bank and consistent donor outreach. Without that infrastructure, the milestone risks remaining a one-off headline rather than a turning point for regional eye health.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a corneal transplant and why was it needed in this case?
A corneal transplant, or keratoplasty, replaces a damaged or diseased cornea with healthy donor tissue. In this case, the 65-year-old patient had infective keratitis — a severe corneal infection — that persisted for two months despite intensive medical treatment, making emergency surgery the only option to save the eye.
Who performed the first corneal transplant at AIIMS Rajkot?
The surgery was performed by cornea specialists Dr Mamta Singh and Dr Kedar Nemiwant from the Department of Ophthalmology at AIIMS Rajkot, with support from Dr Savita, Dr Vishruti Trivedi, Dr Manish, Dr Amit, and Dr Shivam.
Where did the donor cornea come from?
The donor cornea was provided by Rajkot Civil Hospital. Dr Kamal Dodiya and his team at the civil hospital arranged the tissue on an emergency basis, enabling the procedure to go ahead.
How does this benefit patients in Saurashtra?
Previously, patients in Saurashtra requiring corneal transplantation had to travel significant distances to access the service. With AIIMS Rajkot now offering keratoplasty, patients from the region and neighbouring areas can receive specialised eye care locally.
What are AIIMS Rajkot's plans for eye care going forward?
The Department of Ophthalmology at AIIMS Rajkot has indicated it will focus on expanding advanced eye-care services and promoting eye donation awareness, as part of the institute's broader push to grow its tertiary healthcare facilities.
