In the framework of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and Canada, Minister for Foreign Affairs B. Battsetseg conferred the “Order of Polar Star”, highest state award of Mongolia awarded by the Presidential Decree, to Dr. Hugh Parsons, professor at the University of British Columbia of Canada and Project Director of the Laurel Surgical Foundation in Mongolia, in recognition of his valuable contribution to the training of Mongolian ophthalmologists and specialists on September 26, 2023.
Laurel Surgical Foundation has been implementing “Mongolian-Canadian Medical Project” in Mongolia since 2015, to enhance the capacity and skills of local ophthalmologists and provide free access to medical services and treatments to patients in remote areas. So far, Laurel Surgical Foundation examined and treated over 20,000 patients and operated on over 1750 patients in capital Ulaanbaatar city, as well as, Arkhangai, Bayankhongor, Gobi-Altai, Umnugobi provinces.