This is the first surgical project for the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital in three years


NEW YORK, May 8, 2023 - On Monday, May 8th, Orbis International, with generous support from FedEx, will launch its first surgical program since 2020 on board the Flying Eye Hospital – a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board a plane. For three weeks, Orbis's clinical staff and Volunteer Faculty (medical experts) will provide in-person, hands-on training to 52 eye care professionals, including ophthalmologists, nurses, biomedical engineers, and anesthesiologists, from the Can Tho region, building their skills to treat the leading causes of blindness and visual impairment in their own communities.

This marks the 12th time the Flying Eye Hospital has held a training project in Vietnam, including one virtual project on Cybersight, Orbis's telemedicine platform. During this project, participants will develop their skills through a combination of simulation and hands-on training, as well as customized virtual learning courses before the plane arrives in Vietnam. Training activities will take place on the Flying Eye Hospital, currently located at the Can Tho International Airport, and at two partner hospitals, Can Tho Maxillo Dental and Eye Hospital and Can Tho Children Hospital.

The first week of the project will be dedicated to simulation training, which allows participants to grow their confidence in a training environment before moving on to surgeries, resulting in better care for patients. The last two weeks of the project will focus on surgical training, where participants will get hands-on, real-life experience with world-class professionals at their sides.

Surgical training will focus on treating the leading causes of blindness and vision impairment for children and adults in Vietnam. Participants will train in pediatric cataracts, oculoplastics, and strabismus as well as adult glaucoma, oculoplastics, and medical retina. This project will complement Orbis's ongoing programs throughout the country and further Orbis Vietnam's ultimate goal: to fill the gaps and address the needs of local health personnel and contribute to the National Blindness Prevention Strategy, which was approved by the Prime Minister in 2016.

"We are so grateful to FedEx for not only sponsoring this program in Vietnam but also standing side by side with us for more than 30 years in the fight against avoidable vision loss around the world," said Ngoc Pham, Country Director of Orbis Vietnam. "FedEx has played an indispensable role in helping Orbis carry out our mission, including donating the current MD-10 aircraft that serves as the third-generation Flying Eye Hospital."

FedEx has supported Orbis in its mission for over three decades and through more than US$22 million in donations and in-kind shipping. In 2021, FedEx announced its renewed commitment to Orbis's sight-saving mission with a US$3.5 million donation to help provide financial, logistical, and operational support to the organization and its Flying Eye Hospital over the following five years. In addition to providing aircraft parts, maintenance, and pilot training, the FedEx-donated MD-10 is flown by FedEx pilots who volunteer their time to navigate the plane around the world to Orbis projects. The sponsorship of this project in Vietnam is part of the FedEx Cares 50 by 50 campaign to positively impact 50 million people around the world by the company's 50th birthday this year.

"FedEx is proud to play a role in the global fight against avoidable blindness. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year, FedEx has been positively impacting lives and creating a Better World through connecting people to more possibilities. We are committed to using our resources and our network to help address the social and economic needs of those in need in our local communities." said Ee-Hui Tan, Managing Director, FedEx Express Vietnam and Cambodia.

Orbis is grateful for its partnership with Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) and Can Tho International Airport for their support. ACV has generously provided a secure location for the Flying Eye Hospital for the duration of the three-week project, a critical component to safely treat patients and train eye care teams.

Orbis in Vietnam

Orbis Vietnam is also marking a significant milestone this year – the 20th anniversary of the Orbis office in Hanoi. In fact, Orbis started collaborating with the eye health sector in Vietnam in 1996 by providing hospital-based trainings at the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology. Since then, Orbis Vietnam and its partners have worked to increase the quality of care available by improving training and strengthening human resources, especially outside of urban settings. In addition to hosting now 12 Flying Eye Hospital projects, Orbis Vietnam has helped establish screening and treatment centers for retinopathy of prematurity and other pediatric eye care, hospitals, vision centers, a wet lab, and an eye bank. In addition, the Orbis Vietnam team has contributed to developing national-level eye care policies, guidelines, and protocols, as well as collaborated with neonatal intensive care units to improve eye care for babies born prematurely.

Orbis Vietnam has provided eye screenings and examinations to nearly 5.3 million people, medical and optical treatment for over one million people, surgical treatment for nearly 140,000 people, and trained almost 33,000 eye health professionals.

The eye care community in Vietnam has fully embraced Cybersight and has accessed more virtual courses than any other country.

Orbis Vietnam continues to improve access to eye care across the country and will continue to focus on expanding quality pediatric eye care services, strengthening human resources for eye health and increasing the availability of community-led primary eye care services.

About Orbis

Orbis is a leading global non-governmental organization that has been a pioneer in the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness for over four decades. Orbis transforms lives by delivering the skills, resources and knowledge needed to deliver accessible, quality eye care. Working in collaboration with local partners, including hospitals, universities, government agencies and ministries of health, Orbis provides hands-on ophthalmology training, strengthens healthcare infrastructure and advocates for the prioritization of eye health on public health agendas. Orbis operates the world's only Flying Eye Hospital, a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft, and an award-winning telemedicine platform, Cybersight. To learn more, please visit orbis.org.

About FedEx Express

FedEx Express is one of the world's largest express transportation companies, providing fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global air-and-ground network to speed delivery of time-sensitive shipments, by a definite time and date.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Orbis International
Jenna Montgomery
Manager, Global Communications and Marketing
Jenna.montgomery@orbis.org

Orbis Vietnam
Nhung Nguyen
Program and Communications Officer
Nhung.nguyen@orbis.org

FedEx
Elaine Mo
Communications Specialist
elaine.mo@fedex.com

SOURCE Orbis International