UAE | Health
Flying eye hospital seeks to attract volunteers in UAE
The world's only flying eye hospital, part of charity organisation ORBIS, is targeting the UAE and other countries to help millions of people suffering from preventable blindness in the region.
- By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:09 June 9, 2008
Dubai: The world's only flying eye hospital, part of charity organisation ORBIS, is targeting the UAE and other countries to help millions of people suffering from preventable blindness in the region.
The DC-10 aircraft is in Dubai as part of a goodwill tour in Middle East to raise awareness and invite support for their work.
After Dubai, the plane will leave for Syria, where they will provide training to local doctors and surgical care to patients.
Dr David Hunter Cherwek, medical director of ORBIS, told Gulf News the UAE was well-placed to assist the group as it had a high rate of diabetes, which can cause blindness, medical experts and a well-to-do population, as well as expertise on regional issues.
"We'd like volunteers from the UAE. What we really need is technical expertise. Not just medically, but also to help establish health policies because they have experience in the region."
Geoffrey Holland, executive director and CEO of ORBIS, said the charity has helped set up and strengthen eye surveillance and treatment programmes in various countries.
Onboard surgeries
The DC-10 aircraft, modified to fit a classroom and a surgical theatre, is in Dubai. Surgeries in the operating theatre, always done while the plane is parked on the tarmac, can be viewed via a remote screen in the classroom.
Since 1982, ORBIS with its local partners has trained about 195,000 eye care professionals around the world and helped 6.8 million people.
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