“Orbis has affected my life greatly”

“When I was a little girl growing up in Mongolia, we had electricity shortages often. When it happened, it got so dark at home I couldn’t see anything. When the electricity came back on again it was always such a relief.

“At that time, I used to imagine how hard it must be for blind people. These experiences led me to study at medical school and I soon decided I wanted to become an eye doctor. I have been doing this now for 17 years.

“Currently in Mongolia there may be many eye doctors, but there are comparably few who work on the eyes of children. The NCMCH is also the only hospital in the country that provides services for 18-year-olds and under. We are overloaded but my team are facing these issues. That is why we work with Orbis.

“I have taken part in lots of training through Orbis. These have been led by a number of Orbis’s medical experts from across the world who volunteer their time.

“I first trained in screening and treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), an eye disease that can happen in babies who are premature. If ROP is not diagnosed quick enough it can lead to blindness.

“This training has meant we have improved step by step. When I started in ophthalmology, the services for premature infants was almost at zero. Compare this to today where we can now provide comprehensive services for ROP with set dates for screening and surgeries.

“These experts have also visited us in our clinic showing us different surgical techniques through hands on training. This means we are learning to do procedures at the highest standard. It is significant to us. But there is more to learn and improve.

“Orbis not only offers hands-on training. There are many online courses on Cybersight, Orbis’s e-learning platform. I study lots of courses in my free time and have learned many things.

“Cybersight has also made it easy to keep in touch with the experts we meet and seek their advice and knowledge on certain cases. Experts like my mentor Dr Ron Pelton from the USA who has given me hands on surgical training in the past. His advice is always simple and on point. Last year his virtual advice and expertise helped to diagnose a young patient called Sarnai, and decide on the best course of treatment for her.

“Orbis has affected my life greatly but also my colleagues as well. We have all learned so much. All our resident doctors smile when I talk about Orbis. It is almost like Orbis is part of the family here.”