An Israeli medical delegation to Ethiopia provided sight-saving treatments to more than 1,600 patients, including refugees and members of the Ethiopian Jewish community, according to a Monday release.
Led by Prof. Morris Hartstein, senior oculoplastic surgeon at Shamir Medical Center, the mission was carried out through NGO Operation Ethiopia, founded by Prof. Hartstein and his wife, Alisa.
The delegation spent six days providing eye care to those who had no access to ophthalmologists, setting up mobile eye clinics in four different locations.
The team treated a total of 1,653 patients, including nearly 500 orphaned children. It distributed over 440 pairs of eyeglasses, as well as 654 units of medication, all of which were donated by Jewish communities in Israel and around the world.
Their work spanned multiple locations, including refugee camps near Debre Berhan, the Mother Teresa Charity Mission, the Mekedonia Center for people with disabilities, and the local Jewish community.
"What began in 2014 as a family volunteer trip has become our life's mission," said Prof. Hartstein. "We witnessed people losing their vision to conditions that can be treated easily elsewhere, cataracts, infections, and preventable diseases, simply because they lack access to care. We felt compelled to return year after year, because otherwise these patients would remain untreated."
Delegation works in challenging conditions
Accompanied by ophthalmology medical residents from Shamir, Beilinson, and Meir Medical Centers, as well as ten volunteers, the delegation worked in difficult conditions, often setting up makeshift clinics inside churches, classrooms, or tents.
"People line up from six in the morning," said Alisa Hartstein, who manages Operation Ethiopia. "We examine hundreds of patients each day. The gratitude, the relief, and the joy we see are indescribable."
In one refugee camp, an 11-year-old girl who had suffered from poor vision for years burst into laughter and tears of joy after receiving her first pair of glasses.
Later that day, she spotted Prof. Hartstein in the street and ran to hug him. In another case, an elderly man who had endured years of vision loss blessed the medical team in Amharic, moving the delegation to tears despite the language barrier.
Beyond direct treatment, Israeli doctors also collaborated with Ethiopian physicians, some of whom were trained in Israel, and provided local teams with training in basic care and first aid. This long-term capacity-building ensures a lasting impact that extends well beyond each mission.
The initiative has evolved from a family mission into a thriving organization, bringing Israeli doctors and volunteers to Ethiopia multiple times a year to establish field clinics, perform surgeries, and distribute glasses and medications.