Impact of Counseling on the Hospital Cornea Retrieval Programme: A Prospective Study

Background Corneal blindness is a major public health concern worldwide and poses a significant burden in India. It can severely impact an individual's quality of life, particularly when access to timely and effective treatment is limited. One of the key strategies to combat this issue is the Hospital Cornea Retrieval Programme (HCRP), which aims to increase the availability of corneal tissue for transplantation. The effectiveness of this program, however, relies heavily on successful counseling efforts to encourage eye donation and support the retrieval process. Aim and objective The main objective of this study is to assess the impact of counseling on awareness and willingness for eye donation within the HCRP. Methods This 18-month, prospective, hospital-based observational study was conducted at Gandhi Medical College and the associated Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal, India. The study included 58 attendants of critically ill and deceased patients. Trained grief counselors established rapport with families, offering assistance with medical and legal formalities while gradually educating them about eye donation. Participant awareness and willingness were assessed using a structured questionnaire before and after counseling. Results Before counseling, 53.4% of participants were entirely unaware of cornea retrieval, 44.8% had partial awareness, and only 1.7% were fully informed. Post-counseling, no participants remained completely unaware, with 74.1% achieving partial awareness and 25.9% becoming fully aware. Initially, none of the participants were willing to donate eyes, but after counseling, 10.3% expressed willingness. Education level and socioeconomic status were significant factors influencing willingness, with 27.8% of graduates and 30% of participants from the upper socioeconomic class willing to donate after counseling. Conclusion Counseling significantly improved awareness across all demographic groups but had a more modest effect on willingness to donate. These findings highlight the need for targeted, culturally sensitive approaches that address not only knowledge gaps, but also deeper cultural and personal concerns to increase corneal donation rates in India.