Mercy Ships, the global, faith-based healthcare charity that provides free surgeries and healthcare services to the world’s most disadvantaged people through a fleet of hospital ships, recently announced a unique set of volunteer opportunities for people in the ophthalmic industry who are interested to serve in Africa in 2024 and 2025.

“These new volunteer opportunities provide a unique way to grow as a professional, while giving back and caring for people in great need from hospital ships in Africa.”

If you are not familiar with Mercy Ships, for more than 45 years they have worked with governments and global partners to provide medical care for people who have limited access to safe surgery by deploying the largest civilian hospital ships in the world.

The hospital ships deployed by Mercy Ships are filled with state-of-the-art medical equipment and a global volunteer crew of doctors, nurses, ophthalmic professionals, medical staff, technicians, teachers, and other caring people driven to make the world a better place.

Every day, life transformation happens for patients like Seydina, who at the age of 8 had spent his entire childhood with severely impaired vision due to cataracts. The condition was one his grandfather, Alioune, had shared for a lifetime. “Successful surgery – we rarely see it in our countries,” said Alioune after his grandson returned home from surgery with Mercy Ships. “Since he came home, I’ve stopped worrying and I’m very happy.”

“Volunteering with Mercy Ships can provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a new culture, learn from other volunteers from all over the world and give back. We encourage anyone who is curious to reach out and learn more about ways they can serve.”

Based on your experience and timing of need, you can serve for a period of a week or longer, ranging up to 2 years!

Those interested in learning more can go to: https://opportunities.mercyships.org/how-to-apply/

You can also contact us at: info@christianeye.net, or Kelley Denny from Mercy Ships at: kelley.denny@mercyships.org.

MORE ABOUT MERCY SHIPS

Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with African nations for the past three decades. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships also provides training to local healthcare professionals and supports the development of in-country medical infrastructure to leave a lasting impact.

Each year, more than 3,000 volunteer professionals from over 60 countries serve on board the world’s two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy® and the Global Mercy®. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks and engineers dedicate their time and skills to accelerate access to safe surgical, obstetric and anesthetic care. Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has offices in 16 countries as well as an African Service Center in Dakar, Senegal.

For more information, visit www.mercyships.org and follow Mercy Ships on social media.

The Christian Ophthalmic Surgery Expedition Network (ChOSEN) is actively recruiting volunteer cataract surgeon ophthalmologists, ophthalmic surgical assistants, and surgical nurses for their upcoming eye surgery projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

ChOSEN initiated its work in Kinshasa, Congo in 2022. Congo was specifically targeted by ChOSEN because it has > 100 million people with no modern cataract surgery available for public patients and no retina surgery in-country regardless of financial status (patients with financial means needing retina intervention typically travel to Kenya or South Africa for care).

ChOSEN supports a full-time in-country missionary ophthalmologist and operates its own 6,000 square foot clinic with surgical rooms in central Kinshasa. ChOSEN also conducts periodic short- term eye surgical projects into the interior of Congo.

• Dates: Short-term projects are typically 8 total days, which include 5 operating days and three travel days.
• Surgical Equipment / Supplies are mostly Alcon disposable supplies and the ChOSEN clinic in Kinshasa has: 3 Alcon Centurions, 2 Alcon Constellations, 2 Alcon Infinitis, 2 Zeiss Visu 150 microscopes, 3 Alcon Luxor microscopes, 2 BIOM 5 units, 4 Stryker surgical beds, 4 Stryker 830 Surgistools, 2 Tuttanauer autoclaves, and one SciCan STATIM 5000 G4 Cassette Autoclave.
• Clinic Equipment in ChOSEN’s Kinshasa clinic include 2 Zeiss IOL Master 500 units, 2 Zeiss Cirrhus 4000 OCTs, 2 Ellex YAG lasers, a Sonomed A-scan and B-scan unit, 3 Topocon slit lamps with tonometers, and 3 wireless Keeler indirect ophthalmoscopes.
• ChOSEN’s Kinshasa clinic has capabilities of running 4 surgical beds simultaneously (3 cataract and one retina, or 2 cataract and 2 retina stations).
• ChOSEN’s Kinshasa facility is the only place in Congo offering free-of-charge phacoemulsification and retina surgery on public patients. 
• ChOSEN’s in-country medical missionary provides the pre-operative and postoperative care on the patients receiving eye surgery.
• French Bibles are distributed to all surgical patients, and patients are plugged into a local church congregation whenever possible. 
• All travel/transporation/food/hotel are arranged by ChOSEN and your safety is ChOSEN’s priority.
• Hotel accommodations are very good, comparable to a Westin or Embassy Suites, with WI-FI access.
• A typical phaco surgeon would perform on average 12-18 phaco surgeries per operating day during a short-term project.
• The majority of the cataract surgery (60-70%) is done by phacoemulsfication and the remainder by MSICS.
• For cataract surgeons, proficiency in phacoemulsfication is required, whereas proficiency in MSICS is not necessary.
• Fluency in French is unnecessary.

Costs:
ChOSEN requests an all-inclusive (tax-deductible) donation amount from participating ophthalmologists that includes travel/food/lodging/supplies/skilled staff support for the duration of the project and would be approximately:

Congo short-term (one week) project donation amount: 10,000-12,000 USD

If an Ophthalmologist is recently out of residency/fellowship, the ChOSEN board will sometimes make the donation on behalf of the volunteer, particularly if the board believes the volunteer will continue to participate with ChOSEN for many years to come in the future.

If the volunteer is an ophthalmic nurse, tech, or pastor, they are not expected to make a donation to participate (just their time and work).

The above donations made by participating Ophthalmologists fund the participation of the skilled assistants needed to conduct the eye surgery during the project.

LONG TERM OPPORTUNITY:  
If anyone has a calling to serve as a long-term missionary or is considering a long-term missions opportunity, please contact ChOSEN so that ChOSEN’s leadership may speak with you directly regarding such an opportunity in Congo. In particular, if you are a retina specialist, you could become the only full-time (live-in) retina surgeon in Congo and would be well-equipped and supplied to take care of the Congolese poor.

You can find out more about ChOSEN by going to their website: https://www.choseneyemission.com/

If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please contact us at: info@christianeye.net, or ChOSEN at chosenmedical@gmail.com

The Christian Ophthalmic Surgery Expedition Network (ChOSEN) is actively recruiting volunteer ophthalmologists, ophthalmic surgical assistants, and surgical nurses for their upcoming eye surgery projects in Mexico and Nicaragua.

Mexico:
ChOSEN has a 15-year relationship with in-country partners affiliated with a Christian university in Mexico and has done over 12,000 cataract and retina surgeries over the years. Mostly in the greater Monterrey area. This year, they are recruiting volunteer ophthalmologists, ophthalmic surgical assistants, and surgical nurses for several projects in Mexico.

• Dates: Short-term projects are typically 5-7 total days, which include 3-5 operating days and two travel days.
• ChOSEN’s in-country partners perform the pre-operative and postoperative care on the patients receiving eye surgery.
• ChOSEN’s short-term project team typically perform approximately 200 cataract and retina surgeries during a one-week project.
• Most of the cataract surgery (80-90%) is done by phacoemulsifcation and the remainder by MSICS.
• A typical phaco surgeon would perform on average 10-15 phaco surgeries per operating day during a short-term project.
• Surgical Equipment / Supplies: mostly Alcon disposable products and the equipment include 2 Alcon Centurions, 2 Constellations, 2 Zeiss microscopes, one Alcon Luxor microscope, and one Leica microscope.
• Projects have 1-3 evangelists who communicate the Gospel to the patients as well as prepare a daily mini-Sermon and worship service for the project team.
• Spanish Bibles are distributed to all surgical patients, and ChOSEN tries to plug patients into a local church congregation whenever possible.
• All travel/transportation/food/hotel is arranged by ChOSEN and your safety is ChOSEN’s top priority.
• The hotel accommodation is Holiday Inn-quality with WI-FI access.
• For cataract surgeons, proficiency in phacoemulsfication is required, whereas proficiency in MSICS is not necessary.
• Fluency in Spanish is unnecessary.

Estimated cost: See below

Nicaragua:
Nicaragua was specifically targeted by ChOSEN because it was one of two countries in the western hemisphere with < 500 cataract surgeries per one million population being conducted annually according to the World Health Organization (the other being Haiti).

ChOSEN has been involved in Nicaragua since 2019, and ChOSEN supports 2 full-time USA medical missionaries in Nicaragua and employs one Nicaraguan ophthalmologist. ChOSEN operates its own 14,000 square foot eye hospital, which has 4 large operating rooms and 12 examination/procedure rooms. ChOSEN’s eye hospital provides free-of-charge surgical care to public Nicaraguan patients who live throughout the entire country.

• Dates: Short-term projects are typically 8 total days, which include 5 operating days and two travel days.
• Surgical Equipment / Supplies are mostly Alcon disposable supplies and the ChOSEN eye hospital in Chinandega has: 4 Alcon Centurions, 3 Alcon Constellations, 2 Alcon Infinitis, 6 Visu 150 Zeiss microscopes, one Luxor Revalia microscope, 12 Stryker surgical beds, 3 BIOM 5 units, 8 Stryker 830 Surgistools, 3 Tuttanauer EZ11 autoclaves, and 2 SciCan STATIM 5000 G4 Cassette Autoclave.
• The ChOSEN eye hospital has the capabilities of running up to 8 surgical beds at once.
• Most of the cataract surgery (90%) is done by phaco and the remainder by MSICS.
• A typical short-term project will perform 300-500 cataract and retina surgeries over 5 operating days.
• ChOSEN’s eye surgery projects in Nicaragua are provided free-of-charge to public patients, and ChOSEN’s projects provide the only phaco and pars plana vitrectomy operations on public patients in Nicaragua; ChOSEN collaborates with the public Nicaraguan healthcare system to identify eligible surgical patients.
• ChOSEN’s in-country medical missionaries and employed Nicaraguan staff provide the pre- operative and postoperative care on the patients receiving eye surgery during short-term projects.
• Projects have 1-3 evangelists who communicate the Gospel to the patients as well as prepare a daily mini-Sermon and worship service for the project team.
• Spanish Bibles are distributed to all surgical patients, and ChOSEN tries to plug patients into a local church congregation whenever possible.
• All travel/transportation/food/hotel is arranged by ChOSEN and your safety is ChOSEN’s top priority.
• The hotel accommodations are Best Western-quality or better with WI-FI access.
• For cataract surgeons, proficiency in phacoemulsfication is required, whereas proficiency in MSICS is not necessary.
• Fluency in Spanish is unnecessary.

Costs for Short-Term Mission Trips to Mexico and Nicaragua
ChOSEN requests an all-inclusive donation amount from Ophthalmologists that includes travel/food/lodging/supplies/skilled staff support for the duration of the project).

Mexico: 5 operating days (one week) ---> 8,000-10,000 USD
Nicaragua: 5 operating days (one week) --> 10,000 USD

If an Ophthalmologist is recently out of residency/fellowship, the ChOSEN board will sometimes make the donation on behalf of the volunteer, particularly if the board believes the volunteer will continue to participate with ChOSEN for many years to come in the future.

If the volunteer is an ophthalmic nurse, tech, or pastor, they are not expected to make a donation to participate (just their time and work).

The above donations made by participating Ophthalmologists fund the participation of the skilled assistants needed to conduct the eye surgery during the project.

You can find out more about ChOSEN by going to their website: https://www.choseneyemission.com/

If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please contact us at: info@christianeye.net, or ChOSEN at chosenmedical@gmail.com

Eye Hospital in India needs volunteer ophthalmologists and one A-Scan and one Auto Refracto/Keratometer.

Supreme Task Hospital and Eye Care Center (http://www.supremetaskindia.org/) located in one of the poorest areas of India has a CRITICAL need. Due to the age of their equipment, they have a need for one A-Scan and one Auto Refractor/Keratometer.

They are both very old, broken, and unrepairable. If there is a scope for an ‘in kind’ donation of used equipment it can be donated and shipped directly to India. Preferably, it is retrofitted for India current, but they will be able to accomplish it there as well. Otherwise, they request prayerful consideration for funding to be purchased locally, new in India.

Goal: A-Scan and one Auto Refractor/Keratometer - $10,000

The town of Bolangir, Odisha, has long suffered with meager healthcare facilities for its nearly 75% population living below the poverty line. Recently an Eye Camp was successfully conducted for some 250 recipients in the local community. Larry Derstine, Founder/Supreme Task International is looking for Ophthalmologists who are willing to lead a team to India to work alongside their doctors to conduct a short term (1-4 week) Eye Camp.

COVID is mostly over and travel to India is resuming unhindered. If you or others on your team would like to join them in India for a camp their India team would be grateful.

Goal: Short term (1-4 week) Medical Mission Team to work alongside their doctors to provide surgeries for patients and assist in training local Doctors.

With your support, whether financial, as a visiting team member of mission doctors, or by donating an A-Scan and / or one Auto Refracto/Keratometer, we believe area patients will experience God's love and together we can significantly increase the likelihood of impacting a neglected community with the love of Christ.

If you would like to help, please contact us at info@christianeye.net.