Global eyecare charity Orbis, with an invitation from the Mongolia Ministry of Health, has kicked-off a three-week training project on board the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, the world's only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on a plane, that will run until the 22nd August.
With continuing support from corporate sponsors, the Alcon Foundation, FedEx, and OMEGA, the programme aims to build the skills of local eyecare teams, strengthen the ability of partner hospitals to deliver care, and raise awareness about eye health in Mongolia.
Rose, 4, is screened by an Orbis-trained doctor in Ulaanbaatar following a successful surgery.
This project marks the ninth time the Flying Eye Hospital has held a training programme in Mongolia, with the first taking place in 1989 and the most recent in 2018. Orbis also hosted four virtual Flying Eye Hospital projects in Mongolia when in-person training was not possible due to Covid-19. Training activities will occur on the Flying Eye Hospital, currently located at Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport, and at two partner hospitals, the National Centre for Maternal and Child Health, and Third Central Hospital.
During the training, Orbis clinical staff and medical volunteers will guide participants in simulation training, hands-on surgical training and patient care, and ophthalmic workshops. The goal is to improve local eye teams’ skills, improving the care they can provide for patients in the ophthalmic subspecialties of paediatric cataract, strabismus, and oculoplastics, and adult glaucoma, oculoplastics, and surgical retina. The training will also cover skills in anaesthetics, nursing, and biomedical engineering.
“We are grateful for our partnerships with the Ministry of Health, the National Centre for Maternal and Child Health, and Third Central Hospital. Together, we have been able to increase access to quality eye care throughout the country,” said Dr Chimgee Chuluunkhuu, Country Director of Orbis Mongolia. “The Alcon Foundation, FedEx, and OMEGA are very important partners for Orbis, and we are grateful for their indispensable support of this project and support of Orbis’s mission around the world.”
A patient is screened in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, following a successful cataract operation that took place following Orbis training.
The Alcon Foundation has been a generous supporter of Orbis for over forty years, providing monetary donations for the Flying Eye Hospital. Alcon has provided additional support to the Flying Eye Hospital and Orbis Mongolia through donations of state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment, surgical products, and supplies through Alcon Cares. Alcon's expert biomedical engineers and trainers—who participate in Orbis programmes, sharing their skills and knowledge to help programme participants learn to operate and maintain critical medical technology—will lead a biomedical engineering workshop in Ulaanbaatar during the current project. Most recently, Alcon supported the Flying Eye Hospital project held in Zambia in 2023.
“Alcon sees a world where treatable, preventable conditions that affect individuals’ eye health receive the attention they need, when they need it, regardless of geography, gender, age or socioeconomic status,” said Charles Herget, President, Alcon Cares. “We know that the only way to make quality eyecare more available and accessible is by cultivating self-sustaining eye health ecosystems and developing well-trained eyecare teams. That’s why we’re proud to support Orbis and its programmes that tackle avoidable vision loss by building strong and sustainable eyecare systems worldwide.”
Orbis-trained doctor, Dr Battsetseg, screening a patient in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
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 organisation and its Flying Eye Hospital over the following five years. In addition to providing aircraft parts, maintenance, and pilot training, the Flying Eye Hospital is flown by FedEx pilots who volunteer their time to navigate the plane around the world to Orbis projects.
“Our commitment to Orbis’s sight-saving mission extends beyond borders. By supporting the Flying Eye Hospital, we empower local eye care teams, enhance surgical skills, and raise awareness about eye health worldwide,” said Jenny Robertson, Senior Vice President, FedEx Global Brand and Communications.
OMEGA has been a proud supporter of Orbis since 2011. OMEGA is an avid supporter of Flying Eye Hospital projects—including a first-of-its-kind training project held in Doha, Qatar, in 2022 for women in eyecare from conflict-affected areas and last year’s project in Zambia. OMEGA also works in cooperation with its celebrity brand ambassadors to increase awareness of Orbis and its mission.
“It’s an honour for OMEGA to support Orbis and the important work they are doing in Mongolia– and all over the world,” said Raynald Aeschlimann, President, OMEGA. “Since 2011, we’ve been able to witness the positive impact of their eyecare and especially the lasting difference that their training can make. We commend everyone at Orbis for this latest project on board the Flying Eye Hospital.”
