The Flying Eye Hospital is in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. For three weeks there, our expert volunteers and clinical staff will train local eye care teams to restore the sight of children and adults living with vision loss.
Every 5 September, the world observes the International Day of Charity, created by the United Nations. At Orbis, this day speaks to the heart of our mission, especially through our Flying Eye Hospital, the only hospital of its kind in the sky, delivering world-class eye care and training to communities that need it most.
By supporting Orbis, you help bring sight-saving treatment and skills to places where preventable blindness would otherwise steal futures.
The Flying Eye Hospital is a one-of-a-kind aircraft, which includes a state-of-the-art medical teaching facility with an operating room, classroom, and recovery room. Onboard eye health professionals from around Mongolia will improve their surgical skills so more people are able to access quality eye care locally for generations to come.
This Flying Eye Hospital programme will strengthen eye health in Mongolia and focus on improving adult and paediatric care throughout the country. Sadly, one in six school children are visually impaired and only 13% of ophthalmologists can perform high quality refraction and prescribe glasses.
Over three weeks, Orbis experts and volunteers will lead training sessions and workshops. Activities will be held on the Flying Eye Hospital and at two local partner hospitals: NCMCH and Third Central Hospital. Surgical simulation training for ophthalmologists, nurses, and anesthesiologists will also be provided to boost confidence and improve patient outcomes.
Sarnai, who had surgery for a benign tumour on her eye-lid in Mongolia. The surgery was performed by paediatric oculoplastics surgeon, Dr Battsetseg, who previously trained on the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital.
The second and third weeks of the project will include live surgical training focusing on eye conditions such as paediatric cataracts and adult glaucoma. In Mongolia, access to quality-eye care is scarce. Currently, 90% of all cataract surgeries are performed in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar. Yet the country is around six times bigger than the UK and harsh weather often makes travel very challenging. That’s why since 1989 we’ve been working hard to ensure treatment is available to all in the country.
The Flying Eye Hospital landed in Mongolia this weekend in stormy conditions with Captain Cyndhi Berwyn naming it “one of the toughest approaches” in her career. Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is known for its high altitude and strong winds, which the team faced as they made their descent. But experienced pilot and long-time Orbis volunteer Captain Berwyn was able to land the plane safely without incident.
The weather may seem ominous, but a former Orbis patient from Mongolia, and a current Orbis Canada Board Member, Bulgan Orgilsaikhan, who was also on the plane, says in Mongolia there is an expression that goes “The destined person comes with the thunderstorm.” Hopefully then a sign of good things to come!
Check out the video below of Bulgan sharing her story onboard the Flying Eye Hospital.
From patient to Orbis board member - Bulgan shares her story on the Flying Eye Hospital
Once the team landed, they began preparing the plane for the three week ophthalmic training project which will take place onboard. The project will take place across Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport, and at two partner hospitals, the National Center for Maternal and Child Health and Third Central Hospital.
The Flying Eye Hospital crew, along with volunteer pilots, and Orbis Mongolia staff and MIAT Mongolian Airlines ground crew spent the day unpacking the aircraft and converting it to an accredited eye hospital and simulation training centre, so that patients and Mongolian eye care workers can receive treatment and training.
Check out the photos below to see the Flying Eye Hospital Landing in Mongolia.
Orbis Flying Eye Hospital lands in Ulaanbaatar!
“The most rewarding feeling is when I see the confidence emerge among local eye care professionals over the course of a training week. Hand movements and dealing with the surgical instruments. After a few days, you also notice subtle expressions of satisfaction, even smiles on their faces." Dr. Omar Salamanca, Lead Ophthalmologist on board the Flying Eye Hospital.
Week 1 of training in Mongolia has started with more than 70 ophthalmologists taking part. These ophthalmologists had the opportunity to practice their surgical skills on artificial eyeballs and in virtual reality on the plane. They studied different eye conditions like cataract, glaucoma, and strabismus, practicing difficult techniques dozens of times. Doing this helps perfect their skills before performing surgeries on real patients. These new skills and techniques will help their communities for years to come.
Check out the second part of Bulgan's story here:
Watch to see Bulgan's part 2 on training onboard the Flying Eye Hospital.
The skills from the week 1 simulation training the eye care professionals will gain will be able to lead to better outcomes for patients and more healthy eyes in their local communities.
Here are some photos from the training.
Local eye care professionals during week 1 of training onboard the Flying Eye Hospital in Mongolia
We’d like to thank Orbis supporters, volunteers, and partners for enabling us to enhance the skills of Mongolian eye teams using state-of-the-art simulation equipment.
Week one of our Mongolia training project would also not have been possible without Title Sponsor FedEx. FedEx has supported Orbis for more than 30 years, most recently donating equipment and expertise for our triple engine upgrade to our Flying Eye Hospital. Volunteer FedEx pilots Captains Cyndhi Berwyn and Gary Dyson safely guided the plane to Mongolia and continue to train future pilots to fly our MD-10aircraft.
We want to thank FedEx for their support these past three decades and for helping bring quality eye care to Mongolia and around the world.
During week 2, we welcomed the first patient of 2024 to step onboard the Flying Eye Hospital. The week focused on practising advanced surgical skills, with a special focus on paediatric cataracts and strabismus (squint) – two major causes of childhood blindness in the country. Six ophthalmologists who work at The National Centre for Maternal and Child Health (NCMCH), which is Mongolia’s main government referral hospital, joined the Flying Eye Hospital. By taking part in surgeries on the Flying Eye Hospitals, these Mongolian eye doctors will gain skills and knowledge that will benefit their communities for generations to come.
““To see young kids coming on the plane with their parents, and in the course of one afternoon their sight is saved and their lives are changed. You can see it in the eyes of each of these parents; they know how much of an impact this is going to have on the life of their child. And for all of us, it’s just a special moment to witness.””Director of the Flying Eye Hospital, Maurice Geary.
Training was split between the Flying Eye Hospital and at the NCMCH. The training was tailored to each ophthalmologist's level of expertise: going from basic to advanced. Orbis volunteer experts led the specialised training, as some surgeons had more specialised backgrounds.
Check out the photos from week 2 and a video walk through of the Flying Eye Hospital below.
Week 2 training and first Flying Eye Hospital patient in 2024
Flying Eye Hospital Walk Through
Buyandeleger’s fading eyesight threatened to forever cloud her vision and destroy her dreams of becoming a painter.
“It's easier for me to hold my one eye closed and draw close to the paper".
Born in Mongolia, she has struggled with vision problems since birth. In the UK, her eye condition would have been identified when she was born. But in Mongolia, the hospital was unable to perform such routine eye checks on newborns, leaving her eye condition untreated and her dreams and future hanging in the balance.
“She used to close her right eye whenever she needed to focus on something far away. My own mother used to do this whenever it was sunny outside, so I figured it was just something that she learned from her grandmother”Buyandeleger mother, Munkhsaikhan.
When Buyandeleger turned five, her mother, Munkhsaikhan, shared her growing concerns with a friend, as she watched her daughter’s vision worsen. In response, her friend shared knowledge of ophthalmology services available in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar. Munklhsaikhan realised there might be a chance to save her daughter’s sight and give her the future she had always dreamed of.
Determined to find help, Munkhsaikhan and Buyandeleger embarked on a long bus journey to the National Center for Maternal and Child Health in Ulaanbaatar. They arrived during a special paediatric ophthalmic training week hosted by Orbis.
It was here that Buyandeleger’s condition was finally diagnosed—she had a cataract in her right eye. In a life-changing moment, she was treated aboard the Flying Eye Hospital, where the cataract was removed, and an intraocular lens was implanted.
“I could not be happier. My baby gets to see the world clearly now. She’ll be able to read, to write, and to develop further”.
All over the world, there are children who need eyesight treatment. Now Buyandeleger is one of many children whose vision has been restored after receiving treatment on board the Flying Eye Hospital.
The Flying Eye Hospital project in Mongolia has successfully concluded after three weeks of training Mongolian doctors and providing eye treatment to children. This project was made possible thanks to the support of our partners and donors. The training will have a lasting impact on local communities in Mongolia, and families like Buyandeleger’s.
Check out the photos below of Buyandeleger onboard the Flying Eye.
Buyandeleger (5) onboard the Flying Eye Hospital for her surgery
