The Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology(TIO) has been proven to be a boon for the people of Nepal and South Asia. Everyday hundreds of people flock to this pristine institution to treat different malfunctioning and diseases related to eyes. On averagely more than 50 cataract patients are operated and are given new hope of vision and better life. The institute is pioneering itself as a research facility training international ophthalmologists in the revolutionary Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS) technique.
Establish in the year 1994, the Ophthalmology is spread in 135,000 square feet in Gaushala, Kathmandu. TIO is a nonprofit, community based, non-government organization following the vision and mission of the Nepal Eye Program. With an aim to act as a model for treatment research and training center, it has proven to be an ideal model for Nepal. The Tilganga intraocular lens laboratory has produced around three million lenses where the cost of intraocular lens produced brought a revolution in the world of vision. The cost of the lens which use to be around USD 100, significantly reduced to just USD 3.5 giving hope to many poor cataract patients worldwide and specially in Asia. The lens produced here are rated top most quality after the US brand which certainly highlights its prospects.
As part of its regular event TIO has been conducting more than15 free health camps yearly across the country with more than 9,000 surgeries . It is estimated that on average 100 Cataract surgeries are performed each day during the health camps.
One of the major attraction is Dr Sanduk Ruit Medical Director of the institution. Dr Ruit, has received the famous Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2006 for introducing cheap sutureless technique to perform cataract surgery and manufacturing inexpensive high-quality intraocular lens.
He is an aspiring personality developing and mastering the SICS technique giving dreams and hopes to people to see and feel the world with a new perspective.
By Shreedeep Rayamajhi
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