The next generation ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital is set within an MD-10 aircraft.
By Francesca Astorri
Doha: The ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital has arrived in Doha for the first time, offering visitors the unique experience of touring the only “hospital with wings”. As an NGO with over 30 years behind it in eliminating blindness worldwide, ORBIS treats patients in developing countries reaching them in its fully-equipped aircraft, training local doctors and medical staff by offering ophthalmological treatment of international standards.
“We want to capture the attention of Qatar and raise awareness among the 39 million blind people in the world, as 80pc of them could see again with the appropriate eye care”, said ORBIS Chairman Dr Robert Walters.
During its four-day visit to Qatar, ORBIS will not treat patients in the country, but will be looking for partnerships with businesses and organisations that share the same view of a world without blindness. In partnership with the Doha International Airport (DIA), ORBIS will be hosting four days of tours with visitors to the aircraft, including Mr Patrick Muller, Executive Vice President of DIA, staff from Qatar Airways, the US, UK and South African ambassadors, General Manager of Oryx Rotana, philanthropic organisations like Shafallah, Al Noor Institute and ROTA, as well as students, parents and staff of ACS International School (Doha).
When onboard the aircraft, Doha visitors will experience a true state-of-the-art plane with laser treatment room, operating room, sterilisation room, recovery room, audiovisual/IT room… a full equipment for the approximately 20 people operating onboard, including 5 nurses, 4 doctors, 2 anaesthesists, volunteers, translators and those training.
The next generation ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital will be set within an MD-10 aircraft donated by FedEx.
ORBIS worked in 90 countries, training over 300,000 medical professionals, providing more than 18 million treatments. The organisation manages to travel in about 8 developing countries per year, every time spending around 2-3 weeks treating patients and training the local medical staff in order to empower eye care teams with the skills they need to save sight in their communities.
The priority countries are Peru, Bangladesh, India and China, and they just came from El Salvador and by the beginning of October the flying eye hospital is going to Ethiopia and then to Zambia.
As explained by Heather Mary Marchin, Associate Director, Nursing on the Flying Eye Hospital, before starting operating in a country, ORBIS signs a memorandum of understanding with a local hospital, the local Ministry of Health and the community that can be represented by the local association of ophthalmologists. In this way the whole society at every level is collaborating to make the organisation work at its best.
Talking to The Peninsula Ahmed Gomaa, Medical Director of the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital, said that they are now launching the youth development programme. “With the youth development we give a chance to youngsters to come and spend one or two weeks on the plane with us to develop their interest in what we do” said Gomaa. Even before getting to medical school, young students can spend a week on the Flying Eye Hospital to see how the organisation works. “It would be great to have some young Qataris with us as well” Gomaa told The Peninsula.
