Eyeworld

He discussed the challenges of humanitarian missions during conflict, having served at Craig Joint Theater Hospi- tal at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. This was the trauma center for the region, and severe eye trauma was encoun- tered on a routine basis. One of the particular challenges was caring for locals, civilians, and military, who didn't have options for follow-up care in the community. He discussed triaging the risk of going to areas of con- flict and highlighted some of the highly trained medical pro- viders. He offered some "do's and don'ts" for those wanting to engage in hot zones. Do: Align with larger, established organizations; know the head of security, evacuation protocols; sanitize personal effects, consider a burner phone; travel as yourself and tell the truth at checkpoints, be aware of past passport entries Do not: Self deploy (don't just show up); join start-up organizations with fewer resources; post on social media (wait until you're home); dress tactical Transportation can be unreliable, Dr. Anderson said, adding that your supplies may be limited to what you can carry. He also suggested registering with the State De- partment and using the buddy system, as well as making computer files of all photo IDs, passports, medical history, complete itinerary, etc. He stressed that safety is paramount, and as ophthal- mologists, our expertise and surgical skills will always be necessary in crisis. Due to the inherent dangers in these en- vironments, he suggested staging outside of a conflict zone and partnering with an organization that can get patients to a safe location. In conclusion, Dr. MacDonald noted that these human- itarian crises are heartbreaking, and processing the sadness and grief can be challenging. It is important to reach out if you are having trouble processing after the trip, she said. 'Humanitarian Missions: Triaging Risk' Daniel Anderson, MD, shared some of his personal experi- ence with humanitarian missions; he has served in active duty with the Air Force as an ophthalmologist and now in the National Guard. © Copyright 2025 ASCRS Ophthalmic Corporation. All rights reserved. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the staff and leadership of EyeWorld and ASCRS and in no way imply endorsement by EyeWorld and ASCRS. Dr. Anderson gave attendees some "do's and don't" when going to areas of conflict based on his experiences. Source: ASCRS Contact Anderson: Daniel.Anderson@berkeleyeye.com Batliwala: shehzad@drbatliwala.com MacDonald: susan@eyecorps.org Ogilvie-Graham: tog@md.escrs.org Shevchyk: shevchyk.vasyl@gmail.com Williams: lloyd.williams@duke.edu Daniel Anderson, MD Berkeley Eye Center The Woodlands, Texas Shehzad Batliwala, DO West Texas Eye Associates Lubbock, Texas Susan MacDonald, MD Associate Professor Tufts School of Medicine CEO, Eye Corps Concord, Massachusetts Tom Ogilvie-Graham, PhD CEO, European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) London, United Kingdom About the physicians Vasyl Shevchyk, MD, PhD Shevchyk Vasyl Eye Microsurgery Clinic Chernihiv, Ukraine Lloyd Williams, MD, PhD Associate Professor of Ophthalmology Director of Global Ophthalmology Duke University Durham, North Carolina

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