Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse on Monday presented two eye corneas to China for those who need them.

 

Rajapakse arrived in Beijing Monday morning for a seven-day state visit to China.

 

Addressing the cornea donation ceremony, Rajapakse said, "It is indeed an honor to participate in the symbolic donation of eye corneas from people of Sri Lanka to people of China which is my first official act on my visit to China."

 

The two corneas were donated by a 53-year-old Sri Lankan male who died of heart attack on February 23.

 

His corneas were transported to the Chinese capital with the escort of Ms Silva, President of the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society.

 

One of the donated corneas was transplanted to a 18-year-old Chinese girl who suffered from corneal blaze and the other will be transplanted to a Chinese young man soon.

 

Pan Zhiqiang, director of the eye bank of the Beijing Tongren Hospital, said the corneas could be stored for 14 days, the corneal transplant has already helped the girl to see again.

 

Sri Lanka has donated over 50,000 eye corneas to recipient in over 57 countries, Rajapakse said.

 

"I have no doubt that this historic and meritorious deed will go a long way in promoting people to people relations between Sri Lanka and China," he said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2007)