I’m a consultant anaesthetist and the thing I like about Orbis is that it’s far more than an eye charity. I really enjoy being part of a global movement to share knowledge and increase standards of medical care. I teach a small number of people in one place, and they continue to train their peers and colleagues.
As volunteers we’re resourceful. We work with what’s in each location and teach the local team with the equipment they have and approaches that are low cost but effective. I also learn a great deal about how to do more with less; picking up all kinds of techniques and practices that I apply to my work in the UK.
I’d like to go back to one of the places I’ve already been to. It would be great to see the people I’ve trained again; to see the ways in which new techniques have become incorporated into their standard approach.
The first time I ever saw the Flying Eye Hospital was when I was very young on a family visit to India. I remember seeing it on the runway and thinking that, perhaps one day, I could work on it. I’m proud that all these years later, I’ve become part of the Orbis family.
