17 Jan 2023

Nepalese ophthalmologist wins Isa Award for Service to Humanity

      The Isa Award for Service to Humanity held a press conference at the Isa Cultural Centre to announce the winner of the fifth edition of the Award.

       Speaking at the Press conference, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Special Representative of His Majesty the King, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa Award for Service to Humanity noted that the Award stands to reflect the generous, caring and selfless contributions of His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa to humanity.

       HH Shaikh Mohammed stressed that the award embodies a living memory of the late Amir and his noble legacy in service to humanity, and showcases His Majesty the King’s commitment to further instilling humanitarian work and celebrating it across the globe.

      His Highness highlighted that since its inception in February 2009 and through its five sessions, the award has confirmed Bahrain’s firm commitment, under the leadership of HM the King, and with the support His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to upholding the values of tolerance and coexistence. In this regard,

      HH Shaikh Mohammed noted that the Kingdom is always keen on honoring and recognizing individuals and institutions that have spearheaded humanitarian work and served humanity.

      Isa Award for Service to Humanity Secretary-General Ali Abdullah Khalifa said that 145 candidates from across the world had applied for the award in its fifth session 2021-2022 and that 139 applicants were accepted after validating their applications.

      The Board of Trustees and the Secretariat General of the Award, alongside the judging panel consisting of world-renowned personalities representing the five continents, worked diligently to review and evaluate all applications, he added.

      The applications were then shortlisted to five, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the award.

      He outlined that the Board of Trustees dispatched a field team to visit the locations of the five short-listed applicants to evaluate their conformity with the criteria of the award.

      In light of this comprehensive process and evaluation, Nepalese ophthalmologist Dr. Sanduk Ruit was selected as the winner of the fifth edition of the Isa Award for Service to Humanity.

       The Secretary General then presented a short brief about the winner, his accomplishments and achievements.

      Dr. Sanduk Ruit is world-famous for devising a new method for treating cataracts. He was also able to develop a new lens implanted inside the eyeball that could be produced at a much cheaper price than its counterparts.

       This has helped him in performing cataract surgeries in less than five minutes during which he removes the cataract without stitches through small incisions, and replaces them with a cost-effective artificial lens.

      He was able to treat more than 120,000 patients with avoidable blindness for free.