Orbis International, with support from FedEx, has launched its first surgical programme in Việt Nam since 2020 on board the Flying Eye Hospital. — Photo provided by agency

CẦN THƠ — Orbis International, with support from express transportation company FedEx, has launched its first surgical programme in Việt Nam since 2020 on board the Flying Eye Hospital, a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board a plane.

Orbis’s clinical staff and medical experts will provide in-person, hands-on training to 52 eye-care professionals in Cần Thơ, including ophthalmologists, nurses, biomedical engineers, and anesthesiologists, building their skills to treat the leading causes of blindness and visual impairment in their communities.  

This marks the 12th time the Flying Eye Hospital has held a training project in Việt Nam, including one virtual project on Cybersight, Orbis’s telemedicine platform.

Training activities will take place on the Flying Eye Hospital, currently located at Cần Thơ International Airport, and at two partner hospitals, Cần Thơ Maxillo Dental and Eye Hospital and Cần Thơ Children's Hospital.  

Over the course of three weeks, participants will receive simulation training followed by surgical training, focused on treating the leading causes of blindness and vision impairment in both children and adults.

This initiative aligns with Orbis Vietnam’s goal to address the needs of local health personnel and contribute to the National Blindness Prevention Strategy approved in 2016.

“We are so grateful to FedEx for not only sponsoring this programme in Việt Nam but also standing side by side with us for more than 30 years in the fight against avoidable vision loss around the world,” said Orbis Vietnam country director Ngoc Pham.

“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,” she said.

“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 of FedEx Express Vietnam and Cambodia .

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 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. — VNS