Chittagong Bureau

Christine Taylor, Vice President, Global Communications and Marketing of Orbis International said, Orbis has been working with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the past 39 years in Bangladesh.

Over these four decades, Orbis has helped improve local physicians' skills and knowledge in pediatric ophthalmology, microsurgery, retinal surgery, corneal disease and eye banking, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and diabetic retinopathy.

He said that so far in Bangladesh, Orbis has conducted more than 7.8 million eye examinations, provided medical and optical services to more than 4.5 million adults and children, assisted in more than 258,000 eye surgeries, and trained more than 40,000 people in Ophthalmology.

Taylor is coming to Bangladesh for the 11th time and for the 5th time in Chittagong, said these in a briefing in the seminar room of Orbis Flying Eye Hospital on Thursday.

He said Orbis has established 42 vision centers, which have spread eye services to different parts of the country, especially rural areas. These include the women-led Green Vision Center, which breaks down traditional barriers and increases service opportunities for women. In addition, Orbis has helped establish or develop 17 secondary hospitals, 4 tertiary hospitals, 4 training and resource centers, and 2 digital training centers.

Orbis International Associate Director (Global Communications and Marketing) Jenna Montgomery said Orbis has supported 400 community clinics in Bangladesh with vision testing equipment. For the first time in Bangladesh, Orbis has partnered to develop national guidelines for the diagnosis and management of retinopathy of prematurity. This disease is one of the leading causes of blindness in children.

In 2000, Orbis launched a long-term program in Bangladesh, working with local eye hospitals and NGOs to prevent eye diseases and restore vision, reaching remote areas such as the Rohingya community in Cox's Bazar and women tea workers in Sylhet.

He added that FedEx has been supporting Orbis' mission for more than four decades and has contributed more than $22 million in donations and cargo transportation. In 2021, FedEx announced a renewed commitment to Orbis in their vision protection mission, donating $3.5 million. The grant will provide financial, logistical and operational support for Orbis' Flying Eye Hospital and its projects over the next five yearsIn addition, FedEx provides aircraft parts, maintenance, and pilot training.
He said the Flying Eye Hospital is operated by FedEx pilots who volunteer their time and fly the plane on Orbis projects around the world. “Flying Eye Hospital is an extraordinary example of innovation and compassion.

It's a resource that brings hope and medical care to the most remote corners of the world, said Justin Brownlee, FedEx's senior vice president of flight operations and airline planning. He added, “We are extremely proud of the work of our FedEx pilots, mechanics and other volunteers who support Orbis' mission. Their dedication and expertise are essential to the success of the Flying Eye Hospital program”.

Orbis is an international non-profit organization dedicated to vision care. Orbis works in more than 200 countries and territories around the world to help individuals, families and societies thrive. Currently, nearly 1 billion people worldwide suffer from blindness and vision loss that is completely preventable. For more than four decades, Orbis has met these challenges to build strong and sustainable eye care systems that have been admired around the world.

Incidentally, at the invitation of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh and with the support of Alcon Cares, Alcon Foundation and FedEx, Orbis Flying Eye Hospital started a two-week eye training project in ChittagongThis is the 11th landing of Orbis Flying Eye Hospital for advanced training of eye doctors in Bangladesh.

This training scheme was first held in 1985 and last in 2017. The training program will be held at Flying Eye Hospital located at Shah Amanat International Airport and Orbis' partner hospital Chittagong Eye Infirmary and Training Complex (CEITC). The main topics of training in this project include treatment of eye diseases like cataract, oculoplastics, surgical retina, pediatric glaucoma and cornea. There is also training in anesthesiology, nursing and biomedical engineering. This training will start from November 17 till November 28. International non-profit organization Orbis International will train Bangladesh ophthalmologists inside the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, the world's only fully accredited airborne eye teaching hospital.

Orbis' clinical staff and volunteer faculty will provide hands-on surgery and patient care training to ophthalmologists from across the country, along with simulation training and ophthalmology workshops. The objective of this project is to enhance the skills of local eye care providers and create awareness about eye health in Bangladesh. This project is being conducted at the invitation of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh and with the support of Alcon Foundation and FedEx. Alcon Cares, Ophthalmological Society of Bangladesh (OSB), Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) and National Eye Care are also supporting the project. Alcon and Orbis have partnered for more than four decades, donating equipment through Alcon Cares and funding through the Alcon Foundation. Alcon's biomedical engineers and trainers also participate in the Orbis project, where they provide training in the operation and maintenance of eye care technology. Alcon also recently supported the Flying Eye Hospital project in Mongolia in 2023.

Orbis operates programs in various countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America; Develops innovative training and technology, including award-winning telemedicine and e-learning platform CyberSite.

Orbis operates the world's first and only Flying Eye Hospital (Rishuraham Ub Aiandaradhash), recognized worldwide as a fully accredited ophthalmology teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft. For the past 11 years, Orbis has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, which demonstrates Orbis' commitment to strong financial health and transparency, and which ranks Orbis among the top 3% of US charities. Orbis has earned Guidestar's Platinum Transparency Award for the past three years. Since 2022, Orbis has received “Accredited Charities” status from the Better Business Bureau, which recognizes that charities meet 20 criteria. Alcon has been working around the world for over 75 years to improve vision and improve people's quality of life.

Alcon's surgical and vision care products impact the lives of more than 260 million people each year living with conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases and optical defects. Alcon operates in more than 140 countries. With more than 25,000 associates, Alcon works to innovate products, partner with ophthalmologists and increase access to high-quality eye care. About FedEx Express Corporation FedEx Express Corporation is one of the world's largest express transportation companies, providing fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries. Fedex uses air and ground networks to deliver sensitive products quickly within specified time frames