Nepalese ophthalmologist Dr Sanduk Ruit wins Bahrain's Isa Award for Service to Humanity

Tags: Awards

Himalayan Cataract Project Co-Founder and  noted Nepali ophthalmologist Dr Sanduk Ruit has won the Isa Award-2021-2022 for Service to Humanity, a top civilian award of Bahrain.

An overview of the news

• The award carries a cash prize of US$1 million, a certificate of merit and a gold medallion.

• Dr. Ruit is a pioneer in providing high quality microsurgical procedures in remote eye camps.

• He has been instrumental in making modern eye care affordable and accessible to countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

• He is fondly called "God of Sight" for saving the sight of 1,20,000 eyes.

• The biennial award will be presented at a ceremony to be held next month at the Isa Cultural Center in Manama under the patronage of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

• The Board of Trustees considered the findings of the field research team's visit and decided that Dr. Ruit work deserves this award for service to humanity because of the originality of his efforts and his success.

• Dr. Ruitt has trained and qualified more than 650 doctors to treat and prevent blindness.

• He is a recipient of the Padma Shri award by the Government of India, the National Order of Merit of Bhutan as well as the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

• The Government of Australia conferred on him "The Order of Australia" in 2007.

• In 2016, he was awarded the "Asian Game Changer Award" by the Asia Society of New York.

• The "Isa Award for Service to Humanity" was established in 2009 by His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain.