Scientific Police of Pará strengthens cornea collection and helps reduce waiting list for transplants

“I believe that the importance of organ donation has two perspectives: that of the donor and that of the recipient. My grandmother is a very dynamic person, but with visual impairment, she started to stop doing activities. With the transplant, she began to see again and gained a new life. She gained hope, a different outlook on life. The one who donates leaves part of themselves for the other. They leave with love so that the other person can gain life. For me, it was very special to have experienced this with someone I love so much, who gained a new life at such an important moment, in her elderly phase,” reported lawyer and professor João Paulo Mendes Neto, who accompanied his grandmother Emília during the transplant of both corneas.

On this September 27 - National Organ Donation Day - which aims to raise awareness among the population about the importance of organ and tissue donation, the Scientific Police of Pará (PCEPA) highlights the essential work carried out to preserve corneas for transplants. The initiative is part of the project of the State Transplant Center (CET), of the State Department of Public Health (Sespa), in partnership with the Eye Tissue Bank (BTO) of the Ophir Loyola Hospital.

History - The collaboration of PCEPA began in 2018, still on an experimental basis, with modest numbers of donations. Starting in 2019, the results began to grow, but the process was interrupted in 2020 by the Covid-19 pandemic, when more than a thousand people were waiting for a cornea in Pará. The significant return only occurred in September 2022.

In 2023, the goal established back in 2020 was resumed: to double the number of collections compared to 2019. The effort resulted in 346 donations, with 692 corneas collected, an advancement that directly impacted the reduction of the waiting list. In the same year, teams from the Scientific Police participated in training in Ceará, a national reference in the area, learning new techniques for collection and preservation.

The year 2024 consolidated this advancement, recording 350 donations and 700 corneas collected – the historical record for the State. This milestone represented the achievement of the goal of reaching, on average, one cornea collection per day. By 2025, so far, the number has reached 223 donations, with 446 corneas allocated to patients waiting for transplants.

According to the general director of the Scientific Police of Pará, Hinton Barros Cardoso Júnior, the positive result is the fruit of investment in training and structure. “Our team received technical training to ensure the proper preservation of corneas, from the scene of the occurrence to the arrival of the body at the institution, avoiding dehydration and loss of tissue. We offer, at PCEPA, an exclusive room for the BTO to welcome families, providing psychosocial support and guidance on the importance of donation,” he informed.

Speed and efficiency - The work of PCEPA to preserve corneas begins during the removal of the body at the crime scene. "The removers received training to perform eye hydration and protect them from sunlight. Upon arriving at the institution, the necropsy technicians take care to leave the body not in the cold chamber, but in a refrigerated location only, to avoid drying out this tissue. In addition, donors have priority in necropsy, as the cornea needs to be removed as quickly as possible," said Hinton Barros Cardoso Júnior.

This work of the Scientific Police demonstrates how integrated action between health and public safety can save lives. Each donor can benefit up to two people, significantly reducing the waiting list for transplants and offering an opportunity to regain vision and quality of life.

Text: Amanda Monteiro and Monique Leão - Ascom/PCEPA