The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital on Thursday arrived in Bangladesh for the 11th time to conduct training for eye care professionals.
The MD-10 aircraft housing the Flying Eye Hospital landed at Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport around 12:20pm. Hands-on surgical and patient care training will be provided from November 17-28.
Orbis is an international non-profit organisation delivering sight-saving programs in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.
The flying hospital is the world's only fully-accredited ophthalmic teaching and surgical hospital onboard an aircraft.
The aircraft first came to Bangladesh in 1985. The last visit was in 2017.
Dr Munir Ahmed, country director of Orbis International, Group Captain Shaikh Abdullah Alamgir, director of Shah Amanat International Airport, and Prof Dr Munirujzaman Osmani from Chittagong Eye Infirmary and Training Complex (CEITC) welcomed the crew at the airport.
Simulation training and ophthalmic workshops will also be conducted during the training period.
The program focuses on the ophthalmic subspecialties of cataracts, oculoplastics, surgical retina, pediatric glaucoma, and cornea, as well as anesthesiology, nursing, and biomedical engineering, Orbis said.
The program is taking place at the invitation of the Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
“We are honoured to bring the Flying Eye Hospital back to Bangladesh in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and CEITC. Our long-term partnerships are critical to increasing access to quality eye care in Bangladesh,” said Dr Munir Ahmed.
