To the people of Nepal, Dr. Sanduk Ruit is nothing short of a miracle worker. After all, he brings the gift of vision wherever he goes.
The ophthalmologist grew up in one of the country’s tiny villages and has witnessed firsthand the toll inadequate medical care can take on very poor people. According to Sanduk, Nepal is home to about 90% of the world’s blind population, many of whom have treatable cataracts. But they can’t afford surgery, and don’t always have access to eye doctors.
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Sanduck lost his own brother and sisters to diseases modern medicine could have easily cured. That and a desire to help people was what inspired his life’s mission to be a doctor for the poor.
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Not only are eye doctors harder to find for cataract patients in less-developed countries, but the lenses needed to perform corrective surgery previously had to be imported, making them very costly. But over the years, Sanduck has worked tirelessly to solve both issues.
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The doctor treks all over the country, lugging surgical equipment around to perform operations in remote areas. He’s been known to walk for seven days straight to help the blind see again.
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So far, Sanduck has restored the vision of over 130,000 people. He’s also the executive director of the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, a nonprofit based in Kathmandu that provides care to as many as one million patients. Through the organization, Sanduck has been able to source cataract lenses locally in Nepal, reducing the cost from as much as $300 to just $3.
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“I’ve seen thousands but each patient’s story touches my heart. And it is the expression of these patients who have been blind yesterday and suddenly they come out and see everything in front of them, see people they loved,” Sanduck said. “And they change the perspective [on] life in a fraction of [a] second.”
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Could this man be any more of a hero? He’s changing thousands of lives for the better. We’d all be lucky to make such a huge impact in the world.
Learn more about Dr. Ruit’s incredible work in the video below, and share to spread awareness.
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