Operation Medical

Only 1 week left to RSVP! Will we see you there???

Allow us to introduce you to Dr. Yi Wilson Wang, who joined our team of volunteers this past fall in Lilongwe, Malawi! Dr. Wang is currently a general #surgeon at HCA Florida Lake City Hospital. He previously worked with some of our Op Med members when he was residing in Central PA. Born and raised in China, he moved to the U.S. 20 years ago. Outside of these two countries, Malawi is the first country he's been able to spend significant time in during this mission. In addition to his skills in the OR, he is also a talented photographer and specifically enjoys capturing amazing images during his travels. He also enjoys experiencing different cultures, meeting new people, and learning from diverse perspectives. When we asked him to reflect on his experience in Malawi, he shared the following sentiments... "My favorite thing was the ability to make a real difference in people’s lives, often in places where surgical care is scarce. It’s incredibly rewarding to help patients regain their health and to work alongside dedicated medical professionals from around the world. These experiences have reinforced my belief in the power of teamwork and resourcefulness. In low-resource settings, we often have to adapt and innovate to provide the best possible care, which has made me a better surgeon and problem-solver. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve and to work with such an amazing team. I also want to encourage others to consider getting involved in medical missions—whether as surgeons, nurses, or volunteers, everyone can make a difference!" Operation Medical is so lucky to have the support of talented #professionals from all over the country, just like Wilson. Regardless of where you may reside, we welcome new #volunteers to join us! Thank you, Dr. Wang for joining us on your first mission with #OpMed. We hope you can join us again soon! #operationmedical #volunteers #surgicalmission #globalhealthcare

Let us introduce you to Swadik. We met Swadik during our mission to Malawi in September 2024. He makes a living as a butcher in the village of Kaondo, just outside of the capital city, Lilongwe. He farms chickens and goats, using the profits from his livestock to sustain a life for himself, his wife, Edena Malinga, and their four children, ages 5 through 25. Their lives were changed dramatically last year, when Swadik was the victim of a stabbing. To cover the costs of the care needed and transportation to the facilities, the family had to sell off some of their animals. Not able to work to provide for his family for several weeks, they struggled to obtain enough food to eat without his income. His injuries were severe and required immediate treatment. Part of the treatment provided included a temporary loop ileostomy. While essential for his initial care, this is a procedure that does need to be reversed after a certain amount of time has passed. After hearing about the mission camp hosted by AHA & Operation Medical, Swadik returned to KCH so that he would have his ileostomy reversal completed. By his side, was his wife, Edena. They were both so grateful for the work that our team was doing and together, expressed their gratitude for the care provided by Dr. Yi Wilson Wang and his surgical team. Now that he has received this surgery and is on the road to a full recovery, he expects to be able to grow his business back to where it was before the incident, providing fully for his family. To learn more about Operation Medical and how you could support the life-changing work our team does, either by volunteering or through financial donations, please visit our website! We also welcome you to join us at our event on April 24, 2025 to meet our team and learn more. #globalhealthcare #makingadifference #OpMed #operationmedical #AHA #Malawi2024

Support the 200+ volunteers behind 20 missions and our future impact...with a $20 gift! When donating, please comment "20 Missions" so we can allocate your donation appropriately! See the link in the comment section for ways to donate. #donors #volunteers #appreciation #OpMed #operationmedical #globalhealthcare

Mark your calendars now! We welcome you to join us in celebration of our 200+ volunteers who have made our 200 missions a success since 2013! Curious to learn more about future volunteer opportunities with Operation Medical? This event is perfect for you to learn more and speak directly with several volunteers who have been a part of these life-changing medical/surgical missions. #volunteers #celebrate #OpMed #operationmedical #joinus

Friday, 1/24/2025 As our mission week has now come to an end, our team would like to express our gratitude to the local staff we had the opportunity to partner with and our ever-gracious hosts! It will be difficult to leave some of the doctors and nurses who we have gotten to know over the course of this week! It was our honor to work alongside of them and learn from them as well. We are grateful for how they welcomed us into the fold as we all worked together for the benefit of the patients. Our hosts were also incredibly supportive to our volunteers from the beginning to the end of this mission. International travel can bring about unexpected changes in plans. From last-minute flight changes, to coordinating our meals and accommodations, they made special trips and arrangements as needed. All with a smile. Our team could not have asked for anything more! Until next time, Surat! #globalhealthcare #Surat #OpMed #operationmedical #volunteers

Wednesday 1/21/2025 The team has been very busy this week at the Shree Prannath Hospital serving the local people in need of care. From lipoma removals to hernia repairs to tonsillectomies...they are jumping in to help in any way they can. At this point in the week, the team has completed more than 60 procedures and they're not done yet! For our volunteers, it's not just about the surgery. The team takes time to assess the patient carefully. They ask questions and get to know them both as a patient with a medical condition and as a person. Here in Surat, for example, the team has met patients with not only different diagnoses, but also with different occupations, lifestyle, and responsibilities. The goal in each case is to do provide the care that is needed to return that individual to the greatest degree of health and quality life possible. Stay tuned to #OpMed following the mission to read more details about our patients in our #TripReport. #globalhealthcare #OperationMedical #volunteers #Surat #ShreePrannath #humanshelpinghumans

Sunday, 1/19/25 Our team would like to thank our hosts for the beautiful welcome ceremony and gifts that were given upon the start of our mission week. This was such a kind gesture and one that will be long remembered. Our volunteers would also like to thank them for warmly embracing them into their culture. With the welcome ceremony complete, the team quickly got to work! Being the first day of surgeries, our teams were learning how best to partner together and getting to know some of the patients who were in need of care. Relationships have already started to form as the teams meld into one caring unit for the week to serve the local people of Surat. By the end of the day, our three surgical teams were able to perform a total of 17 procedures. The two most common surgeries were hernia repairs and hysterectomies. Overall, a very successful first day of camp! #OpMed #operationmedical #surgicalmission #globalhealthcare #Surat #ShreePrannathHospital

Saturday, 1/17/2025 Several of our volunteers continued on their journey today towards Surat. As their flights landed, our gracious hosts coordinated their pick up from the Mumbai airport to get them safely to the hotel in Surat, meeting up with the rest of the group. The overall journey for most of our volunteers was anywhere from 14 - 18 hours of plane travel, with an additional 5+ hours of driving after landing in India. For those that arrived on Friday, today afforded them the ability to travel to the hospital and get the supplies set up and organized for the mission week ahead. They also met some of the local team as well as the opportunity to get familiar with the operating theaters and equipment available for the week. This will be helpful in order to be able to arrive at the hospital tomorrow morning by 7:30 am and begin treating patients. Following the visit to the hospital, the team was able to see some of the surrounding city and spend some time enjoying the local culture and cuisine before retreating to the hotel to rest up for the night. Tomorrow morning the official mission will commence as the team begins working through the list of patients who have been identified for treatment, providing them the care that they desperately need. #operationmedical #opmed #globalhealthcare #surat #shreeprannath #careforall

Our team is on the move!!! Our team of 16 volunteers are on their way to Surat, Gujarat in India for our 20th surgical mission! Most of our volunteers began their travels yesterday, 1/16, here in the States and are close to reaching the hotel in Surat now. Due to coming from different locations within the US and available flights, they will be arriving in waves between now and through the weekend. Here are some of our volunteers en route to the mission and some of the sites they are seeing along the way. Stay tuned for updates throughout the week on how the mission is progressing. #itsmissiontime #globalhealthcare #surat #india #volunteers #mission #surgical