The late Desabandhu Dr. Hudson Silva, the Founder of the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society (SLEDS), played a pivotal role in advancing research on preventing blindness during his tenure as a medical student at the Medical Faculty of Colombo University in 1957. In 1961, the Eye Donation Service officially commenced on a small scale, primarily collecting eyes from individuals who had passed away in hospitals, homes for the elderly, and executed prisoners.
Expressing his willingness to donate his eyes after death, the founder’s mother, in turn, urged her son to obtain her eyes first, anticipating her demise before his. Influenced by these sentiments and inspired by the Sivi Jathaka Story narrated by Lord Buddha, Dr. Silva authored an article titled “Life to Dead Eye,” published in the “Lankadeepa” newspaper in 1958. This article sparked a remarkable response, with over 400 Sri Lankans donating their eyes within the first week, and some even choosing to donate one eye during their lifetime.
The momentum of the eye donation service grew exponentially over the years. Dr. Silva, aiming to dispatch eyes internationally, collaborated with senior eye surgeons in New York, London, Delhi, Singapore, and Tokyo. In 1964, six eyes were donated to a state hospital in Singapore, restoring the eyesight of five individuals. The subsequent global publicity led to the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society opening its doors to the world.
The society provides corneas to hospitals in Sri Lanka free of charge, while surplus eyes are donated to foreign countries for surgeries. As of now, the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society has donated corneas to hospitals in 57 foreign countries, impacting over 130,000 eye patients globally.
In 1996, Dr. Silva founded the Human Tissue Bank, a vital institution for orthopedic patients in Sri Lanka. This facility, unique in an Asian context, provided over ten thousand human tissues to war heroes and disabled patients, distinguishing itself as the only tissue bank offering free services.
Additionally, the society operates a contact lenses production facility, producing high-quality lenses at a nominal price. The Dr. Hudson Silva Memorial Eye Hospital and its operation theatre, established in honor of the founder, conduct examinations and surgeries at nominal rates.
With over 300 active branches across Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society continues to make a significant global impact. The founder’s vision of aiding the blind has been realized through restoring eyesight for over 10,000 cataract patients and assisting those with visual impairments. Presently, more than 1,900,000 individuals have pledged to donate eyes and tissues, furthering Dr. Hudson Silva’s mission. The society encourages individuals to donate their eyes, tissues, and heart valves, contributing to the realization of the founder’s noble objective.
In addition to its core activities, the society organizes religious events, including Pinkamas, to invoke blessings on Dr. Hudson Silva and the generous public who have supported the cause. The society continues its mission by distributing free pairs of spectacles to visually impaired individuals through its branch societies across the island.
