Da Nang (VNA) – The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital programme opened on July 28 at Da Nang International Airport in Da Nang City.
Organised by Orbis International in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Da Nang People’s Committee and Da Nang Eye Hospital, the event marks the fifth time the “flying eye hospital” has visited the central city.
It also marks the 30th anniversary of Orbis’ partnership with Vietnam’s ophthalmology sector. The MD-10 aircraft, sponsored by FedEx, is specially equipped as a mobile medical training facility, featuring a fully functional operating theatre, a simulation centre and modern classrooms.
During its three-week stay at the Da Nang Eye Hospital and aboard the aircraft, the programme is expected to provide direct training for more than 230 Vietnamese doctors, nurses, anaesthetists and biomedical equipment engineers. With the support of more than 20 volunteer ophthalmology experts from seven countries, the trainees will receive hands-on instruction combined with advanced medical simulation technology.
The training will focus on specialised areas including cataracts, glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and oculoplastic surgery. These medical efforts are expected to help nearly 9 million people in the central and Central Highlands regions gain greater access to high-quality eye-care services.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairwoman of the Da Nang municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Anh Thi said Orbis International’s decision to return to implement the programme would not only enable hundreds of patients, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to receive eye examinations and treatment, but also help strengthen and improve the capacity of ophthalmologists in the city and the region.
Duong Huy Luong, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, said that amid emerging challenges such as population ageing and the rising prevalence of diabetes, enhancing the capacity of the eye-care system remains an urgent priority. He described the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital as a distinctive initiative combining training, knowledge transfer and international-level professional support.
Looking back on its three decades of operations in Vietnam since 1996, Orbis has worked closely with health authorities and achieved notable results. It has provided professional training for more than 40,000 eye-care workers and helped more than 5.2 million people receive screening and access medical services.
Over the past 30 years, Orbis has contributed to ophthalmic development in Vietnam by screening and examining more than 5.2 million people, providing advanced training for more than 40,000 eye-care professionals.
Notably, more than 139,000 sight-saving surgeries have been successfully performed. Orbis has also established 17 retinopathy of prematurity centres and 12 vision centres, bringing essential eye-care services closer to communities.
Kathleen Sherwin, President and CEO of Orbis International, said the Flying Eye Hospital is a part of a broader model that combines intensive, hands-on training with tools such as the Cybersight, artificial intelligence and research, enabling local teams to continue improving the quality of care after the programme ends.
“Vietnam shows what is possible when long-term partnership helps proven solutions take root and scale,” she added.
As a sponsor of the project, Ee-Hui Tan, managing director of FedEx Vietnam and Cambodia, said the company believed that connecting people goes beyond delivering packages – it is about creating opportunities and helping communities thrives./.
