Orbis International Brings First Ever Eye-Care Training To Dallas

FORT WORTH, TX — Orbis International, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving sight worldwide, began its first ever training program in the United States on Monday at the Fort Worth Meacham International Airport.

Eye-care professionals from Latin America are at the Texas airport to train for two weeks on board Orbis' Flying Eye Hospital, which is a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on an MD-10 aircraft.

Since the early 1980s, the Flying Eye Hospital has brought training to eye-care teams in places with the greatest need so that they can help restore vision in their communities, but this is the first time Orbis will provide training in the United States.

The United States is the 97th country where the plane has provided training.

"We are thrilled about this program — and not just because it's the first of its kind for us," Dr. Danny Haddad, chief of programs at Orbis International, said in a news release. "The Orbis story is full of examples of re-imagining how we ensure that the highest quality training reaches the eye-care professionals who it most. We're excited to see how the participants with us in Fort Worth will go on to transform lives with the skills they develop here."

Over the next two weeks in Fort Worth, Orbis will share its knowledge of eye-care with ophthalmologists, ophthalmologists-in-training and nurses from Boliva, Chile, Columbia, Mexico and Peru.

The trainings will focus on such procedures as cataract removal, how to perform fundamental ophthalmic procedures and basic practices surrounding glaucoma.

The participants in the program will be able to use simulation technology that allows them to operate on artificial eyes, practice with virtual reality and use life-like mannequins.

According to Orbis, at least 2.2 billion people have vision impairment or blindness worldwide, and "almost half" of the cases could have been prevented or addressed.

You can read more about the Orbis International mission on its website.