Flying Eye Hospital latest: Next stop Bangladesh!

With an invite from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, this training project will mark the Flying Eye Hospital‘s eleventh visit to Bangladesh. Our plane, the world’s only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft, first touched down in Bangladesh in 1985 with the most recent project taking place in 2017.

This project will deliver essential eye care training to improve access for children and adults in communities across Bangladesh for years to come. With only 1,200 ophthalmologists serving 168 million people — including 750,000 adults and 48,000 children living with blindness — the need for specialized training is just as critical as ever.

Generously backed by Title Sponsors FedEx and the Alcon Foundation, together with our amazing supporters, this project aims to strengthen crucial skills and knowledge in cataracts, oculoplastics, surgical retina, pediatric glaucoma, and cornea. Ophthalmologists, nurses, and biomedical engineers will benefit from this unique training experience that will enhance skills and boost confidence in these key areas.

Led by Orbis’s highly skilled clinical staff and Volunteer Faculty, simulation training, hands-on surgical training, patient care, and ophthalmic workshops will be delivered on board the plane and in local hospitals in Chattogram.

We’re also thrilled to welcome seasoned Volunteer Faculty member Dr. Roberto Pineda back on board the Flying Eye Hospital. This will be the 16th time the ophthalmologist from Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary shares his exceptional skillset in adult cataract and corneal care on our Flying Eye Hospital.

Throughout the project, we’ll be collaborating with Ophthalmological Society of Bangladesh (OSB), Bangladesh College of Physicians & Surgeons (BCPS), National Eye Care (NEC), and Chittagong Eye Infirmary and Training Complex (CEITC). We’d like to extend a big thank you to all of our dedicated partners for their tireless work improving access to eye care in Bangladesh.

We have worked side-by-side with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Bangladesh since 1985, when the Flying Eye Hospital first touched down. In 2000, we established long-term programs working with local partners to focus on eye disease prevention and sight restoration, including the Rohingya community in Cox’s Bazaar and tea pickers in Sylhet.

Throughout the years, we have improved the skills and knowledge of local partners, with a particular focus on pediatric eye surgery, microsurgery, retinal surgery, corneal diseases and eye banking, retinopathy of prematurity, and diabetic retinopathy.

Gallery: Improving eye care in Bangladesh

Orbis Bangladesh has worked with partners to deliver 42 vision centers, including nine women-led green vision centers—innovative facilities that operate with sustainability at the forefront while addressing a variety of barriers for women and girls and providing quality eye health in areas that have traditionally lacked access to care.

None of this would be possible without the incredible support of our Title Sponsors, dedicated partners, generous supporters, Orbis staff, and expert volunteers. A heartfelt thank you to all involved in bringing eye care to those who need it most and helping build brighter futures across Bangladesh. Together, we can change the way the world sees.