The preparatory work for the next year’s visit of Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, the world’s only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft, to Bangladesh is going on in full swing.
A four-member delegation of Orbis headquarters visited Bangladesh as part of the preparation for ‘the 11th FEH Training Program-2024’ in Chittagong that will take place on November 14-28.
The delegation members are Orbis Flying Eye Hospital Program Manager Meryem Altun Parent, Senior Manager (Advanced Logistics) Ernesto Moreno, Staff Ophthalmologist Mohamed El Abed and Staff Nurse Jacqueline Newton, according to a press release.
Like the previous occasions, the flying hospital will offer critical medical services to Bangladeshi patients and conduct training for ophthalmologists. The two-week program will be FEH’s 11th mission in Bangladesh and fifth in Chattogram.
Orbis delegation had a meeting with the officials of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) on Thursday (Oct 19) at the college in Dhaka where they discussed the capacity building of ophthalmologists and human resources development in the field in Bangladesh through the flying hospital.
BCPS President Prof Mohammod Shahidullah, its Ophthalmology Department Chairman Prof Deen Mohd Noorul Haq, who was the director general of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), and other faculty members were present.
Earlier, the delegation visited Chittagong Eye Infirmary and Training Complex (CEITC), a specialized eye hospital which will act as the local partner of the training program, to see their preparation.
In a meeting with the delegation on Oct 17, Managing Trustee of CEITC Prof Dr Rabiul Hossain appreciated Orbis for its flying hospital's global impact on enhancing the proficiency of eye doctors through training programs.
Earlier on Oct 16, the delegation had a meeting with the central organising committee for the 11th FEH Training Program-2024’ in Dhaka. In the meeting, the organizing committee informed the delegation of their preparation to host the FEH.
Ophthalmic Society of Bangladesh (OSB) President and Sylhet Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof AHM Enayet Hussain chaired the meeting attended by heavyweights in the ophthalmology field.
Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) President Prof Ava Hossain, DGHS ex-directors general Prof Shah Monir Hossain and Prof Deen Mohd Noorul Huq, OSB Secretary General Prof Dipak Kumar Nag, National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital ex-director Prof Jalal Ahmed, BSMMU Professor Nuzhat Choudhury, and Prof Purabi Rani Debnath of BIRDEM Hospital were among the attendees.
Most of the attendees observed that ophthalmic professionals in Bangladesh have greatly benefited from the training the flying eye hospital has offered.
Orbis Country Director for Bangladesh Dr Munir Ahmed, Associate Directors Dr Lutful Husain and Iqbal Hossain joined all the meetings.
At the central organising committee meeting, Dr Munir said Orbis is happy to note that OSB committee has agreed to support the FEH mission. “It’s the ophthalmologists who have inspired us to bring the FEH,” he said.
He said the east-west and north-south disparity in education, competence and skill is high that needs to be addressed.
The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is a state-of-the-art teaching facility equipped with an operating room, classroom and recovery room being operated since 1982.
Its training programme allows the clinical team and world-leading volunteer faculty (medical experts) to travel the world sharing knowledge and developing the skills of eye care professionals in the communities that need it most. The plane made its 10th visit to Bangladesh in 2017.
The FEH programme provides advanced hands-on training and technology transfer to enhance the surgical skills of ophthalmology in Bangladesh, focusing on various subspecialties.
Since its first visit in 1985, the FEH imparted training to ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses and biomedical technicians in Bangladesh who have helped shape the eye care sector in the country.
