ORBIS is dedicated to preserving and restoring the sight of people in some of the poorest communities in the world by providing quality eye care which transforms lives. 39 million people worldwide are blind yet 80% of them could see again with the right eye care.
The ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital is a unique international development tool, literally a hospital with wings which flies to developing countries to train local eye care teams in the skills they need to restore the sight of their communities.
ORBIS’ Douglas DC-10 aircraft has been converted to hold a classroom, operating theatre, recovery room and sterilisation unit. Volunteer pilots, mechanics, surgeons, nurses, biomedical engineers and anaesthetists join the plane on its training missions restoring sight and opportunity.
As our official charity partner, Routes is working with ORBIS to raise funds for the next generation Flying Eye Hospital. The new McDonnell Douglas MD-10 aircraft will fly further, for longer and with greater efficiency housing state-of-the-art medical equipment in an even more effective setting.
This year, through The HUB and Routes News follow the Douglas DC-10 on its last year of programme as it travels to Asia and Africa to train the eye care teams of the future, and keep up-to-date with the progress of the next generation Flying Eye Hospital’s retro-fit which the aviation community is supporting with donations of time, equipment and money.
Click here for more information about ORBIS or contact Karen Jaques at [email protected].
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