Nepal’s Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology Gets WHO Recognition

Nepal’s Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO) becomes the first eye care institute in the country to receive the recognition of the ‘WHO Collaborating Centre of Ophthalmology’.

The institute received its due recognition for 25 years of dedicated service in the field of ophthalmology and eye care, both nationally and internationally.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative – Nepal Jos Vandelaer presented the certificate of recognition to TIO CEO Prof Dr. Reeta Gurung at an event conducted on July 23, 2019. Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was also present at the event.

TIO Chief Professor Dr. Sanduk Ruit was also honored on the occasion.

PM Oli pledged his support for the elevation, growth, highlighting its contribution in terms of country’s eye service sector, ophthalmology, training, human resource production and research internationally.

“This is a significant achievement for Nepal,” said Oli.

He praised the institute’s efforts to fight blindness to a considerable extent in short span of time. He stressed on the need for taking its services to distant settlements.

He added that such achievement was not expected by anyone else.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Population Upendra Yadav revealed that a 20-year-old strategy has been implemented to ensure all-round access to eye services.

“All districts have access to eye services, the cases of blindness have been significantly decreased and the production of eye specialists falls under the priority of the ministry,” he said.

Institute Chief Dr. Ruit and Collaborating Centre Announcement CEO Dr, Gurung said that TIO had focused all its activities on taking eye facilities to the community level, education, generation of human resources and research works related to the field.

TIO services span treatment of several eye diseases including eye cancer, shadow or dark curtain vision and glaucoma among others.

Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO) History and Achievements

• TIO was established in 1994 and has provided services through 17 community eye care centers
• It has trained 611 ophthalmologists, 732 ophthalmology health workers, 10,305 community health workers and 6,916 medical students since its inception
• Being one of the most reliable ophthalmology research institutes, it has conducted research in 210 projects and published 183 research articles
• TIO has provided eye care services to over six million people
• It has conducted cataract surgery for over 400,000 people
• It has trained ophthalmologists on cataract ophthalmology techniques from countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Ghana, India and Korea among others
• It has collected over 10,000 retinas and has received pledges to donate retina from over 85,000 people
• TIO produces over five million lenses, which is distributed to 70 countries worldwide

Nepal’s SAARC Tuberculosis Centre in Bhaktapur has received the WHO Collaborating Centre title.