22 November 2024
The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is hosting a two-week training project for eye care professionals in Bangladesh.
The Flying Eye Hospital, the world's only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on a plane, is taking part in the two-week ophthalmic training project in Chattogram from 17–28 November.
Orbis clinical staff and medical experts, including three volunteer anaesthetists from the UK, will provide hands-on surgical and patient care training to Bangladeshi eye care professionals.
Simulation training and ophthalmic workshops will also take place.
Training will take place aboard the Flying Eye Hospital at Shah Amanat International Airport, and at Orbis’s partner hospital, Chittagong Eye Infirmary and Training Complex.
The project aims to build the skills of local eye care teams, raise the standard of eye care in Bangladesh, and build further awareness about eye health in the country.
The focus will be on cataracts, oculoplastics, surgical retina, paediatric glaucoma, and conditions of the cornea.
It is the eleventh time the Flying Eye Hospital has been to Bangladesh since its first visit in 1985.
The charity was invited to carry out the project by Bangladesh’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Alcon Cares and the Alcon Foundation, which has partnered with Orbis for more than 40 years, are supporting the programme, alongside FedEx.
Justin Brownlee, senior vice president of flight operations and airline planning at FedEx, called the Flying Eye Hospital “a remarkable example of innovation and compassion.”
“It’s a truly unique resource, that is bringing hope and healing to people in some of the most remote corners of the globe,” Brownlee said.
Alcon also supported the Flying Eye Hospital during a project in Mongolia earlier in 2024.
“Alcon envisions a world where eye health conditions that can be treated or prevented get the necessary attention promptly, regardless of location, gender, age, or socioeconomic status,” Duane Stumpf, Alcon Cares and Alcon Foundation board member, said.
“We believe that making quality eye care more accessible requires creating self-sustaining eye health systems and training proficient eye care teams,” Stumpf added.
“That’s why we proudly support Orbis and its initiatives to combat avoidable vision loss by establishing robust and sustainable eye care systems worldwide.”
Lead image: A patient being screened at an Orbis partner hospital in Chattogram, Bangladesh
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