With new teams, new specialties, and new upgrades for kids in need around the world, 2024 is set to be a monumental year for Operation International. As we round out the first quarter of the year, we are excited to share with our supporters what is in store for the organization.

2024 will include more than a dozen life-changing medical missions from both existing and new Operation International teams. Two of these teams-–Team ENT and the new Women’s Health Team–-have already completed great work in the first two months of the year. Keep reading below to see what other teams will make lifelong memories in the months ahead:

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Coming This Spring

The spring will be particularly busy for Operation International with five teams setting out to offer much-needed medical care around the world.

These missions will include two exciting new teams who will head out on simultaneous missions on April 24.

Team Neuro, formed in early 2023 by Dr. Sarah Jernigan, will head on to Operation International’s base at Holy Family Hospital in Techiman, Ghana. The team is getting ready to open a neurosurgery center at the hospital—the first of its kind in that part of the country.

“We hope to add to the hospital infrastructure so that we can slowly increase the breadth of neurosurgery available to the community as well as provide neurosurgical access to patients who might not otherwise have access,” said Dr. Jernigan.

The second of the new teams, The Orthopedic Team, will travel to one of the newest countries on Operation International’s roster–Bhutan. Operation International traveled to Bhutan for the first time last year with great success.

The Ortho Team, led by Dr. Kenneth Sands, will focus on restoring function and quality of life to people in need in the Himalayan Kingdom through total knee replacement surgery.

“It is truly a pleasure and an honor to give back, and we hope this will be one of many opportunities in our future,” said Dr. Sands.

Also this spring, three longstanding Operation International teams will continue to spread their impact.

Team Chicago, led by Dr. Edie Chan, will travel to Tanzania for the first time. Team Surgical Relief, established in 2017 and led by Drs. Sanjay Lalla and John O’Shea, will be heading back to Ghana. Finally, Team New York will head to Tanzania in early May. The team first traveled to the country in 2016 and is looking forward to building on their work there.

“In 2023 a new hospital was built, Lake Tanganyika District Hospital, to serve the communities living near Katavi National park, but the hospital lacked many of the needed equipment and staff needed training before it can start serving anyone,” said Team NY leader and OI founder Medhat Allam. “Operation International precured all needed equipment and Team NY intend to make that hospital one of their bases in East Africa.”

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Later This Year

The spring will be just the beginning of Operation International’s impact this year.

Here are the other teams that have missions in store this year:

• Team Dental
• Team UK
• Team Manhattan
• Team Florida
• Team Cleft Repair
• Team Kids
• Team Hearts
• Team Spain
• Operation Restore Vision

Helping Kids Continues

As always, offering free, quality medical care to those in need is only part of Operation International’s global impact.

The organization will also progress in its mission to provide thousands of children with a better life by supporting, and continuously improving, the many orphanages it supports around the world.

Already this year, Operation International expanded its reach by funding a new water collection system and gutters at a new orphanage in Uganda, the Journey Achieving Miracles Children’s Center. The donation made it possible to provide clean water to 300 children at the facility.

At Operation International’s own school and orphanage, Jack Van de Wetering School in Uganda, new renovations are also on the way. Operation International recently built the school new dorms and a new kitchen. Also this year, a new playground and fencing is in the works.

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Thank You

None of this important work would be possible without the consistent generosity of our supporters. We thank each and every donor, volunteer, friend, and supporter who has made it possible for us to not only continue changing lives for another year–but build upon and grow our impact to reach even more people in need. Thank you!

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