Back in Action: Laurel Surgical Foundation Resumes Sight-Saving Work in Mongolia After the Pandemic
Laurel Surgical Foundation Returns to Mongolia, Bringing Hope and Healing Post-COVID
After a long pause brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic, Laurel Surgical Foundation (LSF) has returned to Mongolia with renewed purpose, compassion, and commitment. This long-awaited mission marks the Foundation’s first visit since 2019, rekindling partnerships, strengthening surgical training, and most importantly, restoring sight to those who have been waiting years for care.
The team traveled to Selenge Province, where LSF’s team provided free eye surgeries to patients who otherwise could not afford treatment or travel to Ulaanbaatar. For many, this was more than a medical procedure. It was the return of independence, the ability to work again, and the joy of seeing loved ones clearly for the first time in years. In every surgical theater and recovery room, there was a sense of relief and gratitude that words can hardly capture.
Advancing Surgical Education in Ulaanbaatar
Another vital component of the mission unfolded at the First Central Hospital in Ulaanbaatar. Here, Dr. Priya Gupta, a Canadian comprehensive ophthalmologist, led an intensive training program for Mongolian ophthalmologists. Her focus: teaching advanced glaucoma surgery techniques to faculty, ensuring that complex cases can be treated safely and effectively in Mongolia’s public healthcare system.
The training sessions were hands-on, collaborative, and tailored to real-world conditions, giving staff the confidence and skill to manage glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness, more effectively than ever before. This combination of direct patient care in rural provinces and high-level surgical training in the capital embodies LSF’s mission of providing care today while building skills for tomorrow.
A Mission of Sight, Skills, and Sustainability
LSF’s return to Mongolia is more than a resumption of activity. It is a renewed commitment to sustainable, accessible eye care. By addressing urgent surgical needs in underserved regions like Selenge and investing in the next generation of Mongolian ophthalmologists through specialized training, LSF is creating lasting impact that will be felt for years to come.
In every patient’s restored vision and every resident’s new surgical skill, there is a story of resilience, partnership, and hope. And as LSF looks ahead, this mission serves as a powerful reminder that even after years apart, our work continues to connect people through the universal gift of sight.