Orbis International has announced Conrad N. Hilton Foundation will invest USD 500,000 to support the sight-saving work carried out in its Flying Eye Hospital, an ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft, the company said.
The one-time grant was created and awarded to Orbis in honor of the Hilton Foundation´s chairman emeritus, Barron Hilton, who passed away in September 2019. The grant memorializes his passions for aviation and improving the lives of individuals experiencing disadvantage throughout the world.
In addition to having an ophthalmic surgical suite and recovery room, the current plane is outfitted with a 46-seat classroom and advanced audiovisual system that allows local eye care professionals to watch surgeries happening in the operating room live in 3D and ask questions in real time. Using simulation training technology — including virtual reality, artificial eyes and life-like mannequins — available on the plane, eye care teams can safely build their skills and confidence before progressing to real-life operations, resulting in improved care for patients.
More than 63,000 trainings were completed by doctors, nurses, other eye care workers and community volunteers via the Flying Eye Hospital, Cybersight and Orbis´s other programming in 2018.
Orbis International is a global non-governmental organization that has been a pioneer in the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness for nearly four decades. Orbis transforms lives by delivering the skills, resources and knowledge needed to deliver accessible quality eye care.
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