Flying Eye Hospital wraps up a successful sight-saving project in Ghana

Working alongside partners at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, and the Ghana Ophthalmic Nursing School, over 130 eye care professionals from 25 institutions across Ghana took part in hands-on surgical training, simulation exercises, and workshops led by Orbis Volunteer Faculty and staff.

The surgical training focused on training eye health professionals in subspecialties including surgical retina, oculoplastics, and strabismus. By the end of the project, 40 patients received life-changing surgeries, and 59 were screened for treatment—many of them children who can now look toward a brighter future. 

Crucially, the expertise and confidence gained through these hands-on procedures remain in Ghana, empowering local professionals to share knowledge peer-to-peer and strengthen eye care for generations to come.

The project also helped boost technical capacity across hospitals. Biomedical engineers took part in equipment maintenance workshops in both Accra and Kumasi, ensuring vital equipment such as surgical microscopes and vitrectomy machines are ready for future retina procedures. Thanks to these efforts, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital’s retina service is now fully operational.  

Images: Highlights from the Ghana Flying Eye Hospital project

Nurses, anesthesia staff, and biomedical engineers all benefited from the training, with simulation sessions covering everything from safe anesthesia techniques to sterile operating room procedures. The team also delivered life support training to nearly 30 ophthalmic nurses—a skill that will strengthen patient care for years to come.

A highlight of the project was the Flying Eye Hospital’s Women Leaders in Eye Health coffee hour. Hosted on board the plane and joined by participants from 40+ countries, the session celebrated mentorship and women’s leadership in ophthalmology — an area where we, alongside our partners and supporters, continue to champion equality and opportunity.

Images: Women Leaders in Eye Health host a Coffee Hour on the Flying Eye Hospital

This marked Orbis’s fourth Flying Eye Hospital project in Ghana since 1990 — and one of its most wide-reaching. Through a mix of surgery, simulation, and mentorship, Ghana’s eye health professionals are now better equipped than ever to deliver high-quality, sustainable care. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our Title Sponsors, Alcon, FedEx, and OMEGA, the dedication of our local partners and the incredible support of the Orbis community around the world.

Together, you helped bring training, technology, and hope to communities across Ghana—and your commitment ensures that quality eye care continues to reach those who need it most.