By the grace of Allah, the Eye Bank at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh has achieved a unique achievement as the first eye bank to receive the accreditation of the Eye Banks Association of American (EBAA), the Eye Bank Association of America and currently the only one outside North America.
The Eye Banks Association of American (EBAA) is an international non-profit organization that aims to regulate and monitor eye banks globally, where the organization plays a vital role in setting global standards to ensure the safety and quality of tissues supplied to patients, promote inter-institutional cooperation, and develop best practices in the field of corneal transplantation.
Obtaining this accreditation includes all six functions of the Eye Bank from extraction, donor eligibility, tissue treatment, evaluation, storage, and final distribution, which confirms the position and development of the Ministry of National Guard's Health Affairs in the health field.
Obtaining this accreditation is a pioneering step that strengthens the Kingdom's position on the world map in the field of eye banks, and confirms the ability of the Health Affairs to support international cooperation efforts in combating blindness and vision loss, by providing high-quality corneas independently, without relying on external banks. It is an embodiment of the Kingdom's vision of leadership, innovation and health self-sufficiency, with the blessed efforts of Prof. Dr. Tariq Mubarak Al Debasi, Deputy Medical Director for Clinical Services and Head of the Eye Care Center, and Dr. Fahad Mansour Al Fardan, Head of the Cornea and Anterior Eye Branch Department and Supervisor of the Eye Bank.
This achievement gives real hope to those in need of eye patients, directly contributes to improving the quality of life, and reinforces the Kingdom's position as a leading global center for innovative healthcare.