Dr. Sanduk Ruit’s Inspiring Visit to New York
By Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, May 23, 2025, New York:
It was a rainy Friday in New York City, marking the start of the long Memorial Day weekend. Despite the grey skies and holiday atmosphere, hundreds of members of the Nepali community gathered at LaGuardia Community College not to celebrate the weekend, but to meet a remarkable man who has brought the gift of sight to countless people around the world: Dr. Sanduk Ruit.
The event, organized by the Nepalese Student Association of LaGuardia Community College, was held in the college’s auditorium and carried a spirit of pride, gratitude, and deep inspiration. For those in attendance, it was more than just a public talk; it was an opportunity to hear the life story of a man who has dedicated himself to helping others see the world again.
Dr. Sanduk Ruit shared the remarkable story of his journey, one that began in the remote Himalayan village of Olangchung Gola in northeastern Nepal and led him to become a global pioneer in eye care. With humility and quiet strength, he recounted memories from the rugged hills of Dhankuta, the peaceful settlements of Nuwakot, and the hidden valleys of Nupri in Gorkha, places where medical care is scarce, and hope often travels on foot.
In these forgotten corners of the world, Dr. Ruit has restored sight to thousands. Performing cataract surgeries under the open sky, in makeshift camps, and under the most challenging conditions, he has brought light back into lives that had known only darkness for years. His words, simple yet profound, carried the weight of countless untold stories of the elderly weeping in gratitude, of mothers seeing their children’s faces for the first time, and of entire communities uplifted by the miracle of sight.
He also spoke of his work in other countries, including Indonesia, where he led large-scale eye surgery camps through a program called Meta Surgery. One unforgettable story stood out: a woman who had been blind for 15 years had her bandages removed after surgery and saw again. Overwhelmed with emotion, she exclaimed, “Allah!” A journalist from the Associated Press who witnessed the moment called Dr. Ruit the “God of Sight,” a nickname that has followed him ever since.
To date, Dr. Ruit has performed more than 175,000 cataract surgeries and has trained over 1,000 doctors from around the world. His work has taken him to countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Bhutan, Thailand, North Korea, several African nations, and beyond. His mission is clear: to restore sight, build local medical capacity, and promote affordable, accessible care worldwide.
(Phot0 credit:sandukruitnepal Instagram)
Dr. Ruit’s visit to the United States this time carries a two-fold mission. First, to share Nepal’s often overlooked success stories and to build strong academic partnerships with prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, Brown, Johns Hopkins. and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Second, to begin a new chapter in medical entrepreneurship grounded in compassion.
With a vision as clear as the sight he restores, Dr. Sanduk Ruit dreams of transforming Nepal into a global hub for producing high-quality intraocular lenses. His journey is not only about healing blindness but also about building a model of healthcare that is compassionate, innovative, and sustainable. He has already achieved what many thought impossible — reducing the cost of these life-changing lenses from $150 to just $3, making them accessible to even the poorest patients.
Now, Dr. Ruit seeks to take this mission further by creating a self-sustaining social enterprise rooted in the idea of compassionate capitalism, a model where business success fuels humanitarian service. Using the strength of three decades of experience, a network of skilled professionals, intellectual property developed through years of dedication, and well-established infrastructure, he is laying the foundation for a new kind of medical enterprise. One that is not driven by profit alone, but by purpose.
This project is more than a business; it is a promise, a promise to use the revenue from lens sales to fund free eye camps across the world, bringing light back to those who have lived in darkness for far too long. It is a cycle of giving, where each paid lens becomes a seed of hope for another life changed.
The total project cost stands at $8 million, of which $3 million has already been raised. “We can be philanthropic,” Dr. Ruit said, his voice steady with conviction, “but we must also be sustainable.” Guided by this principle, he extends a heartfelt invitation especially to the global Nepali community to join him in shaping not just clearer vision, but a brighter, more compassionate future for all. Dr. Ruit called on the worldwide Nepali diaspora to help bridge the remaining gap.
LaGuardia Community College President Kenneth Adams warmly welcomed Dr. Ruit, highlighting the college’s pride in serving one of the largest Nepali student populations in the United States. The event was moderated by journalist and editor Suresh Shahi of Khasokhas Media, which also served as the media partner.
Although the rain continued outside, the atmosphere inside the auditorium was filled with light and hope. The event was a powerful reminder that even one person, guided by compassion, determination, and purpose, can make a profound difference in the world, one restored vision at a time.
Please click here to read the full story of “Vision Beyond Borders: Dr. Sanduk Ruit’s Journey of Light Across America”
