Eyeworld

EW NEWS & OPINION 18 July 2015 es that larger international agencies would not be familiar with. Tilgan- ga's next phase will be to provide temporary shelter for those who have lost their homes to prepare for the upcoming monsoon season. Under Dr. Ruit's leadership, the ASCRS Foundation has maintained a close relationship with HCP and the Tilganga Eye Centre. After commu- nicating with Dr. Ruit and other Til- ganga ophthalmologists, the ASCRS Foundation appealed to the ASCRS membership to support Tilganga's on-the-ground relief efforts. "Right now, the priority is pro- viding food and the most basic life support," Dr. Chang said. "I think that foreign aid is not only necessary for their survival, but also provides moral support to the Nepalese people—to know that the global community cares and shares their pain and sorrow." ASCRS members can donate to HCP's efforts through the HCP website, www.cureblindness.org. As added support, the ASCRS Founda- tion board will match all member donations up to $50,000. "Based on our knowledge of the capabilities of Dr. Ruit and the Til- ganga organization, ASCRS members wishing to donate can be confident that 100% of their funds will be used in the most efficient and well-orga- nized way," Dr. Chang said. HCP will continue their mission of providing humanitarian eyecare in Africa and Southeast Asia despite this devastating tragedy. "To see a devastating catastro- phe befall this poor, hard-working, and tranquil society is gut-wrench- ing," Dr. Chang said. "So far, less than 15% of the humanitarian aid sought by the U.N. has been raised, and I hope that all of us in the inter- national community can pitch in to help." EW Editors' note: Dr. Chang has no finan- cial interests related to his comments. Contact information Chang: dceye@earthlink.net by Lauren Lipuma EyeWorld Staff Writer blindness in Nepal, but in export- ing their groundbreaking model of cost-effective, high-volume cataract surgery to other developing coun- tries," said David F. Chang, MD, the ASCRS Foundation's co-chair of in- ternational initiatives. "Tilganga has become a key model and teaching center of excellence for self-sustain- ing eyecare delivery in the develop- ing world." After the earthquake, Tilganga staff, including Dr. Ruit, worked around the clock to treat injured patients and provide needed food, water, and medicine to the victims, according to the HCP website. Tilganga did sustain some damage during the quakes, but none of the staff were injured, although many lost their homes. Most of the communities hit by the quake are remote and geographi- cally difficult to access, so Tilganga's team of ophthalmologists and staff immediately organized their own relief efforts to reach the rural villag- ural disaster to hit Nepal since 1934 and the deadliest disaster to ever have occurred on Mount Everest. Rescue and relief efforts began almost immediately after the first quake, with international aid orga- nizations such as Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross working to evacuate and treat victims. In addition, many local organizations working in Nepal stepped up to pro- vide disaster relief for the thousands of injured and displaced people, including the Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP). The HCP has been providing quality eyecare to rural areas of Nepal for more than 20 years. Es- tablished in 1994 by Sanduk Ruit, MD, and Geoffrey Tabin, MD, the HCP is based at Tilganga Eye Centre in Kathmandu, the first outpatient cataract surgery facility in the Himalayan region. "Many ophthalmologists know of the work of Dr. Ruit and Dr. Tabin in not only eradicating cataract Major ophthalmic societies are helping local organizations provide aid and eyecare services H alfway across the world, in the tiny mountainous country of Nepal, the ophthalmology communi- ty has banded together to provide much-needed support and disaster relief for local communi- ties that have been devastated by 2 recent earthquakes. A 7.8-magnitute earthquake struck on April 25, killing more than 8,000 and displacing more than 450,000 individuals. The quake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing 19. On May 12, a 7.3-magnitude aftershock occurred close to the capital of Kathmandu, hindering relief efforts that were al- ready underway and injuring 2,500 more people. It is the deadliest nat- Ophthalmology community rallies to provide disaster relief efforts in Nepal Tilganga staff examine patients at a medical camp organized in response to the April 25 earthquake. Source: Suman Thapa, MD, PhD

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