Hada News
Syria opens a two-week sign-up for free cataract surgery at Golan National Hospital in Quneitra
Syria's Ministry of Health and the Al-Basar International Foundation have launched a free cataract surgery campaign in Quneitra. Patients are asked to attend the hospital's eye clinic for tests and registration for two weeks from Thursday 15 October.
People in Quneitra whose sight is failing because of cataracts can now sign up for free surgery. Syria's Ministry of Health said on 14 October that it had launched a free cataract surgery campaign at Golan National Hospital, run with the Al-Basar International Foundation, an organisation that works against blindness.
How to get on the list: the Quneitra health directorate asked residents with reduced vision caused by cataracts to come to the eye clinic at Golan National Hospital for examinations and registration, starting Thursday 15 October and running for two weeks. The announcements we found did not give a separate closing date; two weeks from 15 October runs to about 28 October.
The wider programme: according to the ministry's official channels, as reported by the state broadcaster Al-Ikhbariah, eight such campaigns carried out in 2026 led to 3,340 operations across Syria's governorates. Health minister Musab Al-Ali met an Al-Basar delegation on 5 August to discuss continuing the campaigns.
Why it matters: the ministry says the campaign aims to improve patients' sight. The ministry presents the campaign as a way to widen access to specialist care and ease the financial burden on patients. The announcements tie registration to an examination at the hospital inside the two-week window, so that window is the practical deadline.
What it does not say: neither announcement lists eligibility rules beyond a cataract diagnosis, the number of operations planned in Quneitra, or a phone number. The hospital's eye clinic is the stated point of contact.
Sources: Syrian Ministry of Health on X (Arabic), 14 Oct 2026; Al-Ikhbariah (Arabic), 14 Oct 2026.
Watch next: whether the ministry publishes the number of operations completed in Quneitra and the next governorate on the schedule.