Bringing Smiles to Eritrea – A Life Changing Medical Mission Led By Dr. Edward Zebovitz

^{By Malgorzata Lukomska, RN, MSN, CPAN, recipient of a 2025 Medical Mission Grant from ABPANC
Photo Gallery Below}

A dedicated team of medical professionals embarked on the transformative mission to Eritrea April 3-12, 2025, led by Dr. Edward Zebovitz in partnership with Surgeons for Smiles.

Surgeons for Smiles is a not-for-profit organization created by Dr. Zebovitz, that is committed to providing First World medical and dental care to those in need in developing countries around the world. The focus is two-fold: to provide comprehensive, compassionate medical care to people and areas in need, and to offer unique skills and education, so that local professionals may be enriched and provide further care once we have departed.

I have been incredibly fortunate to be part of the team Surgeons for Smiles in Eritrea three years in a row! The team during the recent trip consisted of a range of specialists to include 2 maxillofacial surgeons, 2 anesthesiologists, 1 CRNA, 2 critical care nurses PACU including myself, plus 2 surgical technicians and 1 respiratory therapist.

After traveling approximately 18 to 20 hours, we arrived Friday at midnight to Asmara, Eritrea. The local team of doctors welcomed us at the airport and assisted with transportation of us and luggages filled with medical supplies. We stayed in the local hotel in shared accommodations. You will get to know your roommate very well during the stay!

Saturday was a day to get acclimated to the time change and 8000 feet elevation. We were able to do a little sightseeing in town and check out the local market.

Sunday was the triage day. We welcomed approximately 150 patients: kids, adolescents and adults that were waiting to be seen. People traveled from all over Eritrea, sometimes multiple days for the chance to be seen and operated on.

After a long day of triage, about 50 patients were selected for 5 surgical days with average of 10 patients a day. It was one of the hardest decisions for the surgeons to decide who is going to have the surgery and who unfortunately is not a candidate to be operated on. I could see the sadness in the surgeons’ eyes when they were making that decision. Unfortunately, the need is great, but we were there for a limited time and could not accommodate everybody.

Surgical days were scheduled Monday to Friday.

The primary focus areas were cleft palate, cleft lip, tumors removal, mandibular reconstructive surgeries, lesions removal, fistula closures, ankylosis release, artrocentesis, ameloblastoma of the jaw and really anything else related to neck and jaw area. Without Surgeons for Smiles, these patients simply would not have these surgeries.

As a whole, the long hours and travel halfway across the world are definitely well worth it! My experiences in Eritrea were beyond incredible. They humbled me, the bad days in my life don’t compare to days that people struggle through there everyday. I find myself more compassionate, loving and flexible. Things may not go your way, luggage may be missing, supplies may be missing, you may not have dinner, there is no flushing toilets, there may be flies, bugs, roosters, cats and other creatures in the hospital.

We also had no phone or WIFI access. At first it was very odd not to be connected all the time, but I have to say it was very refreshing to be present without the distraction of phone and social media.

Beyond the operating room, the team also spent time mentoring local healthcare providers and building lasting relationships with Eritrean healthcare community.

Patients in recovery woke up smoothly with no high amount of pain. There was no narcotics used during the surgery and in the post op area. There was no pain that Tylenol and Motrin would not be able to help.

“The mission was about more than medicine — it was about restoring dignity and giving people chance to smile again” as the director of the hospital mentioned to us.

I would highly recommend anyone considering being a part of a medical mission trip to just go! It will change your life forever and most importantly have immeasurable impact on those families for generations to come! I also realize that everyone may not be able to travel across the world, live in unique accommodation, eat different food, while experiencing unique cultural challenges. If you can’t go, consider supporting somebody who is going on that journey. Your support will be greatly appreciated, and you are making an impact and extending your love to other nations.

The trip was a powerful reminder of the profound impact that compassionate, skilled care can have. And while the team gave much, we also left Eritrea deeply inspired by the resilience, strength, gratitude, joy and powerful sense of community of people we served.

Thank you once again for this honor in receiving the grant. Being able to help people during this medical mission trip helped me to be more grateful, humble and rekindle my love for nursing and serving. I plan on doing it as long as I possibly can!