CTM's Sabrina Sheikh volunteers in Jordanian refugee camps

Last month, CTM’s Sabrina Sheikh (Specialist Optometrist) travelled to Jordan with a team of UK-based medical aid volunteers to provide eye care in refugee camps around Amman in Jordan. 

Sabrina joined a multi-disciplinary team, which included doctors, dentists, pharmacists and optometrists from across the UK. She spent five days delivering free eye exams, spectacles, cataract surgeries and other essential eye treatments.

Each day the multidisciplinary team saw almost 1000 patients between 50 international and local volunteers. 

Sabrina said: “The humanitarian crisis in the region moved me deeply and I was inspired because this was an opportunity to serve people who had lost so much. The part I love about my job most is making meaningful differences to people's lives, and I saw this opportunity to use my skills to have a lasting and positive impact on the communities in need. 

“This experience has left me humbled with a stark reminder of the impacts of war. We encountered numerous cases where medical care came too late. We saw adults and children suffering from undiagnosed poor vision, advanced glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, papilledema, amblyopia, retinitis pigmentosa, cataracts and even retinoblastoma.

“We saw people living in tents that offered little protection from the cold, children with no shoes and limited access to clean water. Despite this, these individuals welcomed us and appreciated even the smallest gestures. The resilience of these individuals shone through. It was honestly the best experience and best trip of my life.”

To find out more, please click here: Charity Deployments | Global Ehsan Relief

05/02/2025