The Virtue Foundation team of surgeons across multiple specialties including neurosurgery, ophthalmology, ENT, general surgery, pediatric intensive care and more will travel Mongolia as part of our annual healthcare initiative. The team will work with our long-standing Mongolian colleagues to treat the people of Ulaanbaatar, Erdenet, and Khuvsghul. Moreover, one of the key goals of Virtue Foundation outreach is to work closely with our counterparts and train them to best manage complex cases.
Our teams will be working in multiple healthcare facilities in Ulaanbaatar, Erdenet, and Khuvsghul. We will be serving a wide range of patients from pediatric (e.g. oculoplastics, strabismus surgery), to the elderly (e.g. cataracts). Patients are recruited and subsequently screened by our surgical team. We seek to support the most vulnerable and underserved populations.
Last year's mission saw us screen over 1000 patients and perform approximately 350 surgeries. This year's mission is expected to have the same if not a larger impact. Some supplies will be donated to our Mongolian colleagues for future use by the local doctors and an emphasis is placed during the mission to teach local doctors so they can continue to perform similar surgeries.
We traveled to Khuvsgul in northern Mongolia where we treated patients with cataracts, glaucoma, and strabismus. Over 200 patients were screened and 75 patients received surgery over the course of the week. This was the first time an ophthalmic surgical mission trip was held in this province.
