Growing up in a small village in Nepal, Dr. Sanduk Ruit’s brother and sisters died from simple diseases that could’ve been cured with modern medicine. This inspired him to want to become a doctor for the poor in his country and now he’s helping hundreds of thousands of blind people see again.
Ruit is an ophthalmologist and executive director of the nonprofit Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology and has personally operated on over 130,000 patients. Most of the patients had no money for the care.And they can't come to him. He travels to remote villages to see patients, sometimes walking for up to seven days while hauling surgical equipment to see them. He says 90% of the blind live in this part of the world and that's led to the rapid poverty.
I just did some quick calculations. Dr Ruit turns 65 next month, so I'm guessing he's been a doctor for around 40 years. If he worked 7 days a week he would be restoring sight to about 9 people per day!
“I’ve seen thousands, but each patient’s story touches my heart,” Ruit explains. “I want to spend the rest of my life raising money for these hospitals. My patients are my life and soul.”