Sanduk Ruit, motivated by his desire to help those in need, has performed thousands of operations that changed as many lives.
Sight is a crucial aspect of life that many individuals in developed countries take for granted. Millions in developing countries, however, suffer from blindness and lack the means of receiving treatment. Sanduk Ruit, a Nepalese doctor, changes these lives by restoring their sight through a 5-minute procedure.
CNN released an article on Monday that detailed Ruit’s career and highlighted his achievements as a doctor. One of these feats is restoring sight to over 100,000 individuals in his career of 30 years. Ruit (59) traveled throughout Asia and Africa throughout his 30 years of practice. He even traveled to isolated locations such as North Korea to treat patients. Some of the patients have not seen in decades until Ruit restored their sight.
Ruit is known for his quick surgical procedures that sometimes take as little as five minutes. Ruit, along with his team of doctors, treat patients and teach the procedures to local doctors. He is the first doctor to practice microsurgical operations in temporary camps set up in rural areas.
Another one of Ruit’s accomplishments is co-founding Tilganga in 1994 with philanthropist Fred Hollows; Hollows was a mentor to Ruit. The eye hospital is located in Kathmandu and serves the people in Nepal.
Tilganga offers highly skilled doctors as well as quality equipment. It also produces lenses that aid the restoration of sight for those suffering from cataracts, shipping these products to over 30 locations. The hospital treats some 2,500 patients weekly and offers affordable care, or even free, for those who are financially unstable.
The doctor, born and raised in the Himalayas, suffered the loss of his sister to tuberculosis when he was 17. Her death, which was preventable, birthed a resolve in Ruit to aid others through medicine.
“I am so grateful that I can make a difference in so many people's lives,” Ruit told CNN.
Thousands of individuals from around the world can see clearly, many for the first time in their lives, because of Ruit.
