St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem warmly welcomed Brigadier Tom Ogilvie-Graham, the Managing Director of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS), and former CEO of St. John Eye Hospital Group, during his informative and insightful tour of the Society’s funded projects. Established in 1991, the society comprises more than 7,500 physicians from 130 countries worldwide and is dedicated to enhancing visual health through education and research in ophthalmic surgery, solidifying its position as a vibrant and globally recognized platform in the field. The visit, spanning two days, facilitated fruitful discussions and exchanges on strategies for collaboration and sustained project support.
On the second day, Brig. Graham accompanied St. John’s Mobile Clinic Team visiting, which serves the marginalized areas in the West Bank, to provide essential primary ophthalmic services to underserved patients. During the visit, Mr. Graham engaged in conversations with the medical staff and some patients who had come to receive medical services.
Notably, the Society currently supports the Hospital with two significant projects. The first focuses on performing surgical procedures to treat cataracts, considered the main cause of avoidable blindness and visual impairment in Palestine and globally, for underprivileged patients. Additionally, the society supports a strategic research project that seeks to examine the prevalence of refractive errors (such as myopia and hyperopia) and other ocular conditions, particularly in public schools. This project holds utmost importance as it paves the way for establishing a regular screening system for school children within school health programs, with the aim of preventing students from developing eye diseases that could negatively impact their future.
