This six-week project will deepen skills in cataract examinations and surgeries of local partners, as well as patient communication and infection control - specifically to help provide better access to care in rural communities.
Mongolia Virtual Flying Eye Hospital Project Launches
We're excited to announce the launch of a new VIRTUAL Flying Eye Hospital project in Mongolia. With generous support from OMEGA, the project will train ophthalmic nurses in cataract treatment - the leading cause of blindness in the country.
Training will be held virtually through live lectures on our telemedicine platform Cybersight, and led by our incredible Volunteer Faculty. Lectures will be delivered in English and translated into Mongolian, as part of our effort to increase the language range of ophthalmic learning materials.
Learn more about our virtual Flying Eye Hospital projects
As a course for nurses, this virtual project adds to our commitment to training all eye care professionals, in addition to ophthalmologists. Evidence shows that well-trained nurses play a critical role in preventing complications during surgery, and improving patient outcomes. Nurses are often patients' first line of contact for understanding the procedure they are about to undergo as well as follow-up care.
Partnering With Omega
OMEGA has been a proud partner in the fight against avoidable blindness for over a decade. Providing vital support for our Flying Eye Hospital programs, OMEGA helps us train and inspire teams around the world so they can save sight in their communities.
OMEGA also works with brand ambassadors – including Daniel Craig and Cindy Crawford – to increase awareness of our sight-saving mission. Both Daniel Craig and Cindy Crawford visited Orbis projects in Mongolia and Peru, witnessing firsthand the world class training and education that happens on board the plane.
Memories of the Orbis & OMEGA partnership over the years
Now as the main sponsor of the newly launched virtual Flying Eye Hospital project, OMEGA’s continued support is helping improve access to eye care, even in the midst of a global pandemic.
Derek Hodkey
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ORBIS INTERNATIONAL
“For many of us here in the United States, it’s hard to imagine losing our sight because we couldn’t get cataract surgery, but that’s a reality for too many people around the world where eye care remains hard to come by. One of the best ways to address this is by ensuring that every member of the eye care teams in these areas can access quality training – which we’re doing thanks to the support of partners like OMEGA.”
Our Work in Mongolia
We first landed in Mongolia in 1989. Since then, we have been working with long-term country partners such as the National Center for Maternal and Child Health, the primary provider of pediatric eye care in the country. The project is helping to create a model for screening and treating complex pediatric cases like retinopathy of prematurity. Today, we continue supporting the children's hospital by training eye health professionals, and providing essential ophthalmic equipment.
Only 10% of cataract surgeries are performed outside the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia also has one of the lowest rates of cataract surgery per capita in all of Asia, with only 56% of patients who need surgery receiving it.
Thanks to our supporters and partners like OMEGA, in Mongolia in 2020, we delivered:
- 13,000+ screenings for school children
- 3000 screenings for infants for Retinopathy of Prematurity
- 350 trainings for eye health professionals
Marla had surgery by an Orbis trained doctor at just 42 days old.
Thank You for Your Support
Due to the impact of COVID-19 we were forced to reimagine our Flying Eye Hospital projects. Thanks to your support and our long history of investing in technology and innovation we were able to pivot quickly and effectively to online training - to ensure that eye teams could still access critical training safely.
Thank you!
