Prince Raad thanks supporters of Jordan Eye Bank Society at annual ceremony

AMMAN — HRH Prince Raad, president of the Friends of the Jordan Eye Bank Society, on Saturday attended the society’s annual ceremony to honour relatives of cornea donors and supporters of the society.

During the ceremony, Prince Raad conveyed His Majesty King Abdullah’s greetings to supporters and commended the efforts of the institutions and individuals supporting the society and the Jordan Eye Bank, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Muawyah Bdour, director of the Jordan Eye Bank, warned of cornea-related diseases leading to the loss of sight, noting that Jordan has an 80 per cent success rate of cornea implantation surgeries.

Bdour also noted that the Kingdom was among the first to establish an eye bank in 1979.

He pointed out that the total donations of corneas in the Kingdom had reached 5,000, many of which were successfully transplanted and allowed people to regain their sight.

Samir Hiyari, who delivered a speech on behalf of donors, said that cornea donation was a noble humanitarian act that had positive effects on the lives of others, calling on citizens to make donations.

Amal Maraiah, a beneficiary, said that she had suffered from eye problems that forced her to stay at home, until she received a cornea donation which enabled her to pursue her degree.

Mousa Shehadeh, director general of the Jordan Islamic Bank, expressed his pride in the continuous support of the bank and praised Prince Raad’s keenness to sustain communication between cornea donors and patients.