Cataract project benefits more than 30,000 blind Tibetans

A project offering free cataract operations has helped more than 30,000 blind residents regain eyesight in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

For more than 20 years, the Regaining Eyesight Project initiated by the Tibet Development Fund (TDF) has provided free surgeries for cataract patients in Tibet.

"I finally know what 'blue' looks like. It's great to be able to see the world," said Tudan Cering, a 7-year-old boy with congenital cataract, who received a free surgery two months ago by a visiting doctor from east China's Zhejiang Province.

The Tibet Autonomous Region has the highest incidence of cataracts in China. In some cases, the Regaining Eyesight project paid for patients to see specialists outside the region.

The project also included the construction of the Lhasa Institute of Eye Care in Tibet's capital, which has helped many patients in rural areas throughout Tibet to receive free operations since completion in 2005.

"I'm able to feed the cows by myself now, thanks to the doctors," said a 68-year-old Tibetan man who received cataract surgery in June.

Tibetans face a high risk of cataracts due to the high altitude and strong ultraviolet rays, said Cedain Doje, who works at the eye care institute. "The lack of medical facilities and inconvenient transportation in the region multiply the seriousness of the situation."

"Hopefully through practice, the surgery could be learned by local doctors and passed down," said Lyu Tongfu, a visiting doctor from Quzhou People's Hospital in Zhejiang Province.