Lucknow, July 20 -- Uttar Pradesh has finalised a time-bound action plan to strengthen corneal donation and transplantation services, with a high-level task force outlining measures to increase eye donation, improve utilisation of donated corneas and reduce corneal blindness. The Task Force on Corneal Donation met at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow, under the chairmanship of Prof R. Harshvardhan, joint director of the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO-U.P.). The meeting followed recommendations made at Netra Manthan, the state-level consultation on corneal donation and transplantation held on February 28.The task force proposed strengthening hospital-based Eye Retrieval Programmes, faster donor identification, better hospital-eye bank coordination, standardised protocols, healthcare training and awareness campaigns. Prof Harshvardhan said the recommendations would guide expansion, with members approving an implementation plan assigning responsibilities and timelines.htc...