About the Program

The Fred Hollows Foundation's Nepal Eye Program's contribution to blindness treatment and prevention is a collaborative effort with the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (formerly Tilganga Eye Centre). Tilganga is independent from The Foundation and has partnerships with several non-government organisations.

The Fred Hollows Foundation in Australia and The Fred Hollows Foundation United Kingdom remain close partners of Tilganga and continue to provide funding for some activities, particularly for initiatives aimed at increasing the accessibility of eye care services to poor and remote communities in Nepal.

The Foundation supported the extension of Tilganga Eye Centre, thereby facilitating Tilganga's transition from an outpatient eye care facility to an international standard, tertiary level eye care hospital which will positively influence the delivery of eye care services and elevate standards of eye care in the Himalayan region.

Led by Medical Director, Dr Sanduk Ruit, the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology comprises the Surgicentre, the Fred Hollows Intraocular Lens Laboratory and an Eye Bank for the storage of donated corneas.

Surgicentre

Since 1994, Tilganga has screened nearly 1.5 million people and performed more than 74,000 operations, at both the Surgicentre and at Outreach Microsurgical Eye Clinics (OMECs). Cataract operations account for the majority of these procedures.

As well as providing a comprehensive treatment service for cataract blindness through the outpatients clinic, the Surgicentre also treats other eye conditions such as glaucoma, trachoma and childhood blindness. The Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology also provides glasses and contact lenses to patients. 

Community Eye Centres

In addition to these on-site facilities, the team at Tilganga conduct outreach clinics and have established permanent Community Eye Centres (CECs) in remote areas of Nepal.

The Foundation is currently supporting three permanent CECs in Dhading, Nuwakot and Sindhupalchoku, as well as annually funding three OMECs. The Fred Hollows Foundation in the United Kingdom is supporting a CEC in Okhaldhunga in the mid-north region of Nepal.

Outreach Microsurgical Eye Clinics

Approximately ten OMECs are held by Tilganga every year. Each of these clinics are supported by organisations such as the Nepal Eye Program Australia (NEPA)

By taking eye care to some of the most remote areas of Nepal, more people - who would normally not be able to get to Kathmandu for services - are able to be treated by the Tilganga team.  This philosophy stems back to the original vision of Tilganga; to provide eye care services to the poorest of the poor, no matter where they live.

The OMECs are normally held over a few days and are set up in makeshift buildings, such as local schools. Each clinic screens a large number of people and depending on the location of the clinic and the number of patients, up to 250 operations are performed on average. The OMECs also provide valuable experience to Tilganga's staff.

The Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology also provides outreach services and training for surgical teams from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Pakistan, Sikkim, Tibet, Myanmar, northern India, North Korea and for other country programs coordinated by The Fred Hollows Foundation.

The Fred Hollows Foundation in Australia and The Fred Hollows Foundation United Kingdom are currently supporting Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology by:

• Funding Outreach Microsurgical Clinics
• Funding Community Eye Centres in Nuwakot, Dhading and Sindhupalchok
• Providing support for the maintenance of equipment used by Tilganga's outreach clinic teams
• Supplying IOLs to other eye centres in Nepal
• Providing assistance for ongoing staff training at Tilganga

Funding has also been provided by the following organisations:

• Nepal Eye Program Australia of The Fred Hollows Foundation
• AusAID (Australian Agency for International Development)
• Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP)(USA)
• Tibet Vision Project (USA)
• Vision Tibet (Switzerland)
• SOIR-IM (Sweden)
• Parmita Trust (Jamgon Kontrul Rimpoche Foundation)
• Ananda Sangh Nepal and Regpe Dorjee Foundation
• The Khawachen Assistance Program
•  Various local Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, Jaycees, Red Cross and other service clubs