The Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP) was created in 1995 by Dr. Geoffrey Tabin and Dr. Sanduk Ruit with a goal of establishing a sustainable eye care infrastructure in the Himalaya.
Most of these 1000 modern surgeries were performed by HCP's co-director, Dr. Sanduk Ruit, who brought microsurgery with intraocular lens technology to the region.
[citation needed] One-third of the patients pay the full US$100 for a complete work-up, modern cataract surgery, and all post-operative care.
[citation needed] Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIOC) is the flagship of the Nepal Eye Program and the current facility was opened in 1994.
[6][7] It is a non-profit, community based, non-government organization that is committed to providing eye care services and implementing the Vision 2020 concept of elimination of avoidable blindness.
TEC's goal is to act as a model for treatment, research and training, in cooperation with all other eye care centres and organizations in Nepal.
[citation needed] As the director of the Himalayan Cataract Project, he has over ten years experience administering an international charitable organization.
In June 2013, Random House released a book[12] written by David Oliver Relin, (co-author of Three Cups of Tea) which shines a light on the work of Himalayan Cataract Project ophthalmologists, Dr. Geoffrey Tabin and Dr. Sanduk Ruit.