Orbis International's flagship Flying Eye Hospital will conduct an intensive two-week programme in Rajasthan from September 22 to October 3 focusing on multiple subspecialty training and equipping the next generation of Indian eye care professionals with the continuing medical education required to address the country's dire eye heath needs. This programme is invited by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, hosted by SMS Medical College & Hospital, the Sahai Eye Hospital & Research Centre, and sponsored by Alcon, the world's leading eye care company.
The aim of the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital programme is to enhance the skills of the ophthalmologists in the State in treating blindness in children in the diagnosis and management of cataract, glaucoma, squint, oculoplastics and corneal disorders in children. The training will also be extended for other healthcare practitioners including nurses, anaesthesiologists, bio medical engineers and technicians.
"India accounts for nearly 20 percent of all blind children worldwide," said Dr Hunter Cherwek, medical director, Orbis International. "With the sponsorship of Alcon, this Flying Eye Hospital programme complements Orbis' Childhood Blindness Initiative in India, a programme that aims to develop 50 paediatric ophthalmology centers across India by 2015."
The Flying Eye Hospital is a DC10 aircraft fitted with all the facilities to run a miniature eye hospital. It is equipped with the state-of-the art examination & laser treatment room, operation theatre, recovery room, nursing and biomedical engineering training areas, audio/visual, studio and a 48-seat classroom. Onboard, local doctors, nurses and technicians work alongside Orbis' international medical team to exchange knowledge and improve skills.
A total of 13 international volunteer faculties from some of the leading eye hospitals in UK, USA, and Hong Kong will be providing training during the program. The names of faculty also include some of Indian origin like the corneal ophthalmologist and one of the anaesthesiologists.
Nearly 250 participants are expected to participate in the various programmes. This number includes, nearly 80 per cent from entire Rajasthan and the rest from other parts of the country, who will be gaining training in various specialties of eye care.
In addition to the training aboard the plane, which will be provided through lecture, live surgical demonstration and symposiums, the medical programme will be conducted at both host facilities in order for Orbis volunteer physicians to train in the local environment of the participating doctors.
The programme in Rajasthan is at the invitation of the Medical, Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Rajasthan, SMS Medical College & Hospital, Rajasthan Ophthalmological Society, Sahai Hospital & Research Centre, and Eye Bank Society of Rajasthan. Sahai Hospital and Research Centre and SMS Medical College & Hospital are the host hospitals for the program. At the Centre, the National Program for Control of Blindness Directorate General of Health and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India will be supporting the program.
The Flying Eye Hospital programme will also include a workshop on eye banking scheduled with the support of Eye Banking Society of Rajasthan and also an outreach camp in rural Udaipur for screening diabetic patients for diabetic retinopathy. Orbis in India already has two Behavioural Change Communication pilot projects in diabetic retinopathy in two states - West Bengal and Maharashtra and is preparing a national plan to tackle this emerging eye disease.
Orbis' focus in India is on childhood and corneal blindness. The country has the highest number of blind in the world and accounts for one fifth of the world's blind children.