Israeli Surgeons Conduct 80 Cataract Surgeries on a Medical Boat on Papua New Guinea’s Coast

A team of ten Israeli ophthalmologists conducted 80 cataract surgeries in one month, while aboard a hospital ship sailing down the coast of Papua New Guinea. Representatives from the Sheba Medical Israel Center for Disaster Medicine and Humanitarian Response joined a 120-member delegation from 20 countries  organized by the non-governmental organizations, NATAN – International Humanitarian Aid and the Australian Christian Youth With a Mission, which operates the medically equipped ships to deliver aid and services. The doctors assessed the needs of the patients, who, because of such limited access to medical treatments, had been rendered blind by simple cataracts that were left untreated.“Humanitarianism is a core value for Sheba Medical Center, and this successful medical mission to Papua New Guinea is the latest example of how we export our expert resources to help as many people as possible around the world,” said the medical center’s director general, Professor Yitshak Kreiss.