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ORBIS Flies to South China's Hainan
Doctors from ORBIS aircraft, the world's only flying eye hospital, arrived at the Meilan International Airport in south China's island Province of Hainan last Friday, kicking off a three-week program to help people there regain their eyesight.
According to local sources, 180 local eye disease patients will receive operations by ophthalmologists from countries such as the
United States, Germany, and Canada. The operations will include cataract removal, implanting of corneas and glaucoma treatment inside the ORBIS Aircraft.
A total of 40 ophthalmologists from local hospitals will also be organized to watch the operations and receive some training, said local sources.
In accordance with a MOU signed between ORBIS and the Hainan Provincial People's Hospital in this May, the latter will act as the presiding partner in the cooperation with the former at Meilan International Airport.
ORBIS, with headquarters in New York, is a non-profit, humanitarian organization dedicated to fighting avoidable blindness worldwide. In the mid-1970s, Dr. David Paton, an ophthalmologist from Texas of the United States, conceived the idea of an airborne ophthalmologic treatment and teaching hospital.
With a plane presented by United Airlines and other donations from enthusiastic people, the ORBIS aircraft took flight in 1982.
Expenses of ORBIS operations come from donations from individuals, companies and organizations, and ophthalmologic specialists and other medical persons work voluntarily to a large extent.
Up to now, the ORBIS hospital has visited 80 countries and conducted 393 medical programs, training more than 46,000 doctors and nurses in sight-saving skills. It is estimated that millions of people suffering from eye diseases have benefited directly or indirectly from ORBIS.
Over the past years, ORBIS has conducted 67 medical programs in China's 21 provincial areas and trained 12,700 doctors and nurses.
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