LHASA — More than 30,000 cataract patients in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region have benefited from free surgeries funded by the Tibet Development Fund over the past 30 years.

The Tibetan charity group said on Aug 15  that to help cataract patients regain clear vision, the fund has carried out public welfare activities in the region since 1993, providing cataract patients in remote and less developed areas with free cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation.

Located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the "roof of the world," Tibet is home to many farmers and herdsmen suffering from a variety of eye diseases due to the high altitude, thin air and intense ultraviolet radiation, with cataract being the most common.

"The regained sight lit up my whole world," said Songdan, an 83-year-old herdsman in Nagqu city who received cataract surgery in March with the help of the fund.

Founded in 1987, the Tibet Development Fund focuses on donating medical equipment to hospitals, funding treatment of Kashin-Beck diseases and improving people's living environment in recent years. It has contributed a great deal to the health of Tibetan farmers and herdsmen.