Our Medical Missions
Our Medical Missions address the pressing Eyecare needs of Ethiopia’s most destitute villagers. We’ve helped thousands get life-changing Eyecare. Read about our past Missions below.
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“Your work is showing the people of Ethiopia the best face of Israel and bringing to life the deep and warm connection that people feel exists between our two countries.”
November 2024 Medical Mission
Our amazing 14-person Israeli volunteer team, including four ophthalmologists and ten laypeople transformed the lives of thousands during this impactful 6-day medical mission.
Due to civil unrest in the Gondar region, we focused our work in Addis Ababa and in Mekelle, Tigray region. The latter has suffered terrible devastation following the end of the brutal Ethiopian Civil war in 2022.
Our team brought direct Eyecare to close to 1,000 people by running Mobile Eyecare Clinics in the Addis Ababa Jewish community, the Mother Teresa Mission of Charity in Addis Ababa, and in IDP [internally displaced persons] camps in Mekelle, Tigray. We screened for eye disease, glaucoma, cataracts, vision problems and more. We dispensed close to 500 units of medications and hundreds of pairs of eyeglasses, immediately treating conditions of people who otherwise lacked access to Eyecare.
We restored eyesight to over 500 blind people at our Cataract Campaign at Quiha hospital in Mekelle.
Three of our volunteers who are medics trained 60+ teens who’ve been living in IDP camps for 2 years without a solid school structure, in First-Aid and CPR, teaching them how to deal with everyday emergencies in the IDP camp.
We donated canes to children at the Blind School in Mekelle on behalf of the Israeli blind community
Our doctors consulted on complicated cases in the ophthalmic clinic at St. Paul’s Millinium Medical Center, and were honored to have a press team stop by the hospital to film our work, which was featured on Ethiopian TV and in the Ethiopian Herald Daily.
September 2024 Medical Mission
Dr. Morris Hartstein and Dr. Shirin Hamad Azzez from Israel, together with three Ethiopian ophthalmologists trained by Operation Ethiopia in Israel, ran a DCR (tear-duct bypass) surgery campaign in the village of Dessie Ethiopia at Boru-Meda Hospital.
Our incredible team operated on 149 adult and pediatric patients who had been suffering from advanced dacryocystitis for years. It was gratifying to provide free surgeries to people who had been unable to afford them for years.
We were touched by an end of campaign “thank you” ceremony by the hospital staff. We look forward to expanding our cooperation with Boru-Meda hospital to help more people who otherwise are unable to get needed surgical treatment.
August 2024 Medical Mission
Our team of four Israeli volunteers, including three ophthalmologists, joined with three local Ethiopian volunteers in Addis Ababa. Together, we treated over 500 patients at Mobile Eyecare Clinics in the Addis Ababa Jewish community and the Mother Teresa Mission of Charity.
Our doctors consulted on complicated cases in the ophthalmic clinic at St. Paul’s Millinium Medical Center, and were honored to have a press team stop by the hospital to film our work, which was featured on Ethiopian TV and in the Ethiopian Herald Daily.
Our Israeli team continued on to Mekelle, in the Tigray region, where Operation Ethiopia restored eyesight to 500 people blinded by dense cataracts. We visited IDP (Internal Displaced Persons) camps that house thousands of families displaced by the Ethiopian civil war, treating patients in a Mobile Eyecare Clinic, and meeting with the organizers to plan how to expand our work in the IDP camps during our upcoming November medical mission.
July 2023 Medical Mission
Our amazing Israeli volunteer team ran Mobile Eyecare clinics in and around Gondar, Ethiopia, in the villages of Azzezo, Tedda, Kola Diba, Maksegint, and the Gondar Jewish compound. We treated 1924 patients in just one week!
We screened patients for glaucoma, cataracts, other eye diseases, and distributed medications and hundreds of pairs of eyeglasses to people who lack access to doctors and medical care. Our medics ran CPR and first aid training sessions for 60 medical staff at the University of Gondar Hospital, and our team participated in our Cataract Campaign, where we restored eyesight to 400 people blinded by dense cataracts.
Help make our work possible
Your support makes our work possible. A small donation of just $120 allows us to treat 10 patients in our Mobile Eyecare Clinics.
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