LONDON, March 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Orbis, one of the world's leading eye charities, has reached a major milestone in patient care, delivering over 10 million treatments in a single year[1]. Orbis's new 'third generation' Flying Eye Hospital, a unique aircraft that plays a vital role in the fight against avoidable blindness, lands in the UK today for the first time in history[2].
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/475588/Orbis_Flying_Eye_Hospital.jpg )
The Flying Eye Hospital stands at the cutting edge of medical innovation. To the eye, it is a typical passenger plane; however on the inside there is a state of the art operating theatre, with audio-visual equipment that transmits live operations to trainees in a 46 seat classroom at the front of the plane. The aircraft also features pre and post-op spaces and a laser eye suite.
The Flying Eye Hospital enables a global volunteer team of the world's most highly regarded ophthalmic experts to train local medical professionals, leaving a lasting impact for future generations.
HRH The Countess of Wessex, Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) says:
"Orbis's Flying Eye Hospital is a unique and inspiring instrument in the fight against avoidable blindness. In 2013 I was able to witness the plane in action in Kolkata, India. I observed everything from the most simple cataract surgery using basic cost effective techniques, to a complex prosthetic surgery restoring sight to a man who had been blind for fourteen years. These medical interventions, however small, act as a platform to lift communities and countries out of poverty; if you can see you can work, if you can see you can learn."
The UK event, taking place between the 11th and 17th March, will celebrate the charity's vital work in the fight against avoidable blindness. In many countries across the world, a lack of sight can impede your ability to gain an education, prevent you from finding employment and can lead families into a life of poverty.
About the Flying Eye Hospital
The Flying Eye Hospital is kindly supported by FedEx Express, L'OCCITANE, Alcon Foundation and OMEGA.
Since 1982 the Flying Eye Hospital has delivered programmes in 78 countries, trained thousands of doctors and restored sight to people all around the world.
The 'third generation' Flying Eye Hospital was launched in June 2016. More than six years in the making, it is the world's only mobile ophthalmic teaching hospital, on board an MD-10 aircraft donated by FedEx in 2011.
About Orbis:
Since 1982, Orbis has been working to prevent and treat avoidable blindness in Africa, Asia and Latin America and runs 40 long-term programmes across the world in countries including: Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa, Zambia, Bangladesh, India, Mongolia, Vietnam.
Discover more about Orbis at http://www.orbis.org.uk
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[1.] Figures may include individuals receiving multiple treatments
[2.] This is the first time the customised MD-10 aircraft, completed in 2016, lands in the UK
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