WilliamsMemo7

Williams Memo 7 Historicizing a Project

__**Working Title: Knowledge and technology transfer of surgical technology-practice**__ proposed by Dr. Pokhrel and "like-minded people"; supported publically (but by whom?) || 1974 || Dr. Ruit talks to Buddhist and Hindu monks about the eye bank. He moves part of the "eye bank " process onto the grounds of the Pashupati Temple on the banks of the holy Bagmati River so that tissue can be harvested before a person is cremated. || 1996-1997 ||
 * **Event** || **Year** ||
 * Dr. Ram Prasad Pokhrel returned (from London) to Nepal with degree in ophthalmology. || 1971 ||
 * Dr. Ram Prasad Pokhrel works at Bir Hospital with very little medical equipment, high rates of infection, few beds for cataract patients, and very low cataract surgical rate || 1971-1974 ||
 * Dr. Ram Prasad Pokhrel performs surgeries at 70 eye camps between 1971 and 1978 || 1971-1978 ||
 * Ground-breaking ceremony of the Nepal Eye Hospital (Kathmandu, Nepal)
 * Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) or the National Society for Comprehensive Eye Care was established (partially through Dr. Pokhrel's dedication) || 1978 ||
 * Nepal Blindness Survey || 1980-1981 ||
 * A Nepali trader's son, Dr. Sandak Ruit, receives his post-graduate degree in ophthalmology from New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences || 1984 ||
 * Dr. Sandak Ruit marries outside of his religion || Before he opens the Nepal Eye Program ||
 * Dr. Sandak Ruit establishes the Nepal Eye Program with the purpose of (1) treating MORE patients where they are at (extremely non-sterile conditions) and (2) replacing the damaged lens with a plastic IOL (way too expensive at the time) || 1992 ||
 * Dr. Sandak Ruit spearheads the opening of The Tilganga Eye Centre and The Fred Hollows Intraocular Lens Laboratory || 1994 ||
 * Tilganga Eye Center/ Fred Hollows Intraocular Laboratory produces intraocular lenses (IOL) || 1996 ||
 * Civil war between constitutional monarchy (with multiparty democracy) and Maoist Communist Party; the Maoists || 1996-2005 ||
 * Dr. Ruit establishes the Nepal Eye Bank in Tilganga Eye Center;
 * HCP publishes a peer-reviewed article on SICS (Small incision cataract surgery) calling it an innovation for the developing world || 2000 ||
 * Crown Prince Dipendra kills his parents King Birendra and Queen Aiswarya and his younger siblings Prince Nirajan and Princess Shruti as well as 6 others before killing himself; His uncle, Prince Gyanendra, succeeds the throne but is much less popular || 2001 ||
 * Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) silver jubilee (25 years) || March 26, 2004 ||
 * Dr. Pokhrel publishes his autobiography "Reaching The Unreached (Three Decades of Struggle in Nepal)" || 2004 ||
 * King Gyanendra dissolves the parliament/declares martial law in order to deal with the Maoist insurgents || February 2005 ||
 * (1)HCP publishes a how-to-simplify-surgical procedures-and-make-them-less-expensive-for-the-developing-world-manual (distributed by the American Public Health Association) || February 2006 ||
 * (2)mass protests in Nepal against the new King build momentum; women activists and GLBT rights activists; (transgender = "Metis") || April 2006 ||
 * (3)women activists (i.e. Lily Thapa?? Others?)
 * fight for a greater role in creating the new government
 * Demand equal rights with men in the new government || June - December 2006, ||
 * (4)Nepal Tourism Board reports that tourism down in Nepal for September || October 2006 ||
 * (5)Tilganga Eye Center publishes a SICS standard operating procedure manual for ophthalmic surgeons || August 2006 ||
 * (6) peace accord between monarachy and maoists; interim constitution for transition from monarchy to democracy starts being developed? Implemented? || November 2006 ||
 * (7)"About 20.5 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts, one of the most curable causes of vision loss. And more than half of all persons in the US develop cataracts by age 80...Cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure in the US, with more than 1.6 million procedures performed each year." New York Presbyterian University Hospital for Cornell and Columbia, quoting data provided by the Center for Disease Control in their report "2006 National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery" || August 2 2006 ||
 * (8) OLPC starts the One Laptop Per Child Nepal || December 2006 ||
 * Readers Digest names Dr. Sandak Ruit "Asian of the Year" || 2007 ||
 * Dr. Geoff Tabin gets interviewed (PBS, National Geographic, Rock and Ice Magazine, etc) and quoted/mentioned frequently (Time Magazine, Outside magazine, etc.) || 2007-2008 ||
 * Nepal is declared the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (president is chief of state, minister is head of government) || May 2008 ||
 * Nepali king vacated the throne || June 2008 ||
 * First President elected, President Ram Baran YADAV (as of 23 July 2008) || 23 July 2008 ||