Know Our Team

Rajendra Gyawali, FAAO

President

Gyawali is an optometrist by profession with postgraduate level qualification from University of KwazuluNatal, South Africa, and a professional fellowship from American Academy of Optometry. He has served as clinician, academician, researcher and community service provider in several communities in Nepal, Maldives, Malawi, Eritrea and Vietnam. He coordinated the development and implementation of optometry program at Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam.

Gyawali is the founding president of BVFN. His deep passion about community level quality and accessible eye care services in remote and hard-to-reach locations in Nepal led to the conceptualization of this organization. Along with other members of BVFN, he shares the common responsibility to contribute to the society and the country where we have grown personally and professionally. Aligning with this shared vision of universal eye care, he has served and coordinated several community outreach eye health projects in Nepal and other countries he has worked. He is also actively involved in numerous research works focusing on eye health in communities.

He is now currently pursuing his PhD in University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia, as a Scientia Scholar.

Dr. Nabin Paudel, PhD

Vice President

Dr. Paudel is the founding Vice President of Better Vision Foundation Nepal. Dr. Paudel completed his undergraduate optometry degree from Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University in 2008 and Doctor of Philosophy degree in optometry from the University of Auckland, New Zealand in 2016. After graduating from the undergraduate optometry degree he served as a clinical optometrist at the B.P.Koirala Lions Center for Ophthalmic Studies, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu for 3 years. Dr Paudel has extensive experience in community services and philanthropic activities. He has regularly participated in rural pediatric and adult eye health and surgical camps organized by the Lions International, the Rotary International and local clubs. Dr Paudel has reached various remote areas of Nepal such as Jumla and Lukla in different eye care missions. Dr. Paudel was a principal optometrist in a 14-day Health Camp organized by a New Zealand based philanthropic organization “Band Aid Box” in Kahrikhola, Solokhumbhu, Nepal in the year 2009. Dr. Paudel’s interests are community services, philanthropy, scientific research, evidence based practice and teaching.

Rabindra Adhikary

Secretary

Adhikary is a consultant optometrist in an eye hospital of Nepal outside Kathmandu. He is a 2009 graduate of Bachelor of Optometry from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), TU. He is involved in many non-governmental organizations. He has participated in more than 500 eye camps in Nepal. His hobby includes blogging and nature expeditions. He was fully dedicated to the clinics like refracting, examining the patients, treating, counseling and referring when needed. He enjoyed his work because he could see the changes in person’s life because of his work. After few years of working, he thought he could do more to bring about the changes in people’s lives and hence he started to be involved in non-governmental organization through various roles. He is the founding secretary for BVFN.

Adhikary is now pursuing his Master’s degree at Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, Kathmandu, run under Pokhara University.

Dr Sudarshan Khanal,

Founding Board Member

B.Optom, O.D, MPH

Dr Khanal trained as an Optometrist and graduated with Bachelor of Optometry from Institute of Medicine in 2013. Soon after graduating, he worked as a consultant optometrist and instructor of Ophthalmology for MBBS student at Lumbini Medical College for a brief period of 7 months. He obtained his Doctor of Optometry (O.D) from Southwestern University in Philippines in 2016.

Currently, Dr Khanal is pursuing Master in Public Health (MPH) from Institute of Medicine and is involved in private practice in Kathmandu. In last five years, Dr Khanal has traveled nearly 25 districts for providing essential eye care service through various organizations including Nepalese Association of Optometrist, Nepal Optometry Students’ Society, B.P Koirala Lions Center for Ophthalmic Studies.

Beside philanthropic activities, he writes actively in various national and international journals emphasizing gaps, urgency and advocacy of eye health for the underserved population. At Better Vision Foundation Nepal he plays a key role in communicating various national and international partners for collaboration, conduction and implementation of various research and eye screening program in school children and underprivileged communities.

Dr. Surendra Shrestha,

Founding Board Member

Dr surendra is homoeopathic physician. He had done his graduation from Purwanchal University. He has worked in different parts of Nepal as homoeopathic physician. He has worked as the co-ordinator of the two-day health camp for earthquake victim supported by cross culture learner centre, Canada.

Prativa Devkota

Founding Board Member
Ms. Prativa, B. Optom (IOM, TU), is anOptometry graduate from Institute of Medicine. As an Optometrist, she worked at Advanced Eye Hospital for a period of one year and currently she is working at Nepal Eye Hospital. During her formative years at Institute of Medicine, she got opportunities to get involved in different eye health related activities and help the needy to get the gift of sight. She strongly believes in providing quality vision care to enhance overall health of the patient. At Better Vision Foundation Nepal, she uses her academic, professional and clinical skills to tackle the issues related to availability of primary eye care services to the marginalized community and create awareness on eye health.

Mukund Pant

Founding Board Member

Mukund is an Optometrist graduated from Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University in 2013. For more than five years, he was involved in clinical practice at different eye hospitals and clinics based in Kathmandu valley, the capital city of Nepal. He conducted an extensive eye screening program among street children in Kathmandu valley in collaboration with World Council of Optometry and various non-governmental organizations in 2013/2014. He was also actively involved in many eye screening and surgical camps in different parts of Nepal to provide quality eye care services to the needy people and to improve their quality of life. Currently, He is pursuing Master of Philosophy (Optometry) at Queensland University of Technology under Australian Government Research Training Program.