Orbis Flying Eye Hospital to train over 115 Ghanaian professionals, perform sight-saving surgeries

The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital (FEH) has officially launched its fourth training project in Ghana, promising to significantly enhance local eye care capacity through advanced surgical training and a transformative “ripple effect” of learning.

The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is the world’s only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital aboard an MD-10 aircraft.

Since its inception in 1982, the FEH has visited over 84 countries, training more than 450,000 eye care professionals and providing tens of millions of sight-saving treatments globally.

Ghana’s blindness prevalence rate is estimated at 0.74%, with most cases being preventable or treatable—underscoring the critical role of programmes such as the Flying Eye Hospital championed by Orbis International in improving national eye health outcomes.

The latest project was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, Deputy Minister of Health, at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on Tuesday, October 14, where the aircraft docked a few days before the commencement of the programme.

The three-week mission, running from October 13 to 31, will train more than 115 Ghanaian eye care professionals and provide direct, sight-restoring surgeries for patients across two major cities—Accra and Kumasi.

Training beneficiaries include ophthalmologists, nurses, anaesthesiologists, and biomedical engineers participating at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.

Doctors and nurses from 23 other hospitals across Ghana will travel to Accra and Kumasi to participate, ensuring that the skills and knowledge gained will benefit communities nationwide.

Eye surgery training. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee.

The project is being conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Ophthalmic Nursing School and is sponsored by global partners, including the Alcon Foundation, FedEx, and OMEGA, with local support from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and Aviance Ghana Limited.

Significantly, all patients will receive eye-saving surgeries at no cost, with Orbis International donating two high-tech simulation training units—each valued at over $100,000—to KBTH and KATH to ensure ongoing skills development.

Deputy Minister Hints at Government Eye Care Policy

Prof. Dr. Ayensu-Danquah lauded the initiative, expressing hope that even more patients would benefit from the surgeries provided.

“I’m hoping that they (eye surgery beneficiaries) will be in the hundreds by the time they (The Flying Hospital crew) leave,” she told MyJoyOnline.

She further revealed that the government is considering the implementation of a comprehensive eye care policy to support patients with eye conditions.

“The plan would be so that people who have preventable eye diseases are really taken care of. I think that it is right along with our free primary health care as well as our Mahama Cares, which is a Ghana medical trust fund,” she stated.

“So by the end of this year, maybe next year, we should be able to have a policy that covers eye [care], because eye care is actually primary care.”

Dual-City Training and Capacity Boost

At the opening ceremony, Maurice Geary, Director of the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, outlined the scope and unique aspects of the current mission.

This marks the fourth time the FEH has conducted a training project in Ghana since its first visit in 1992. The aircraft has provided in-person training in 84 countries worldwide.

“This particular Flying Eye Hospital project is unique in that we are conducting training in two different cities,” Mr. Geary announced.

High-Tech Simulation and Surgical Ripple Effect

The heart of Orbis’s approach is the “ripple effect” of impact: each surgery performed by the plane’s Volunteer Faculty (VFs) is a vital learning opportunity for local medical teams.

“When patients receive care on the Flying Eye Hospital, their treatment provides an opportunity for local eye care teams to learn how to deliver the same care to patients in their community,” Mr. Geary explained. This ensures that expertise remains in Ghana long after the aircraft departs.

Week 1 focuses on high-tech simulation training in Accra, delivered onboard the state-of-the-art FEH facility, at KBTH, and at the Ghana Ophthalmic Nursing School. This allows professionals to practise crucial skills in a risk-free environment—a global best practice that research shows can reduce surgical complications by up to 40%.

A major resource boost for Ghana was also announced:

“Orbis is donating a portable virtual reality simulator to each of our partner hospitals for this project so that ophthalmology residents can continue to practise these surgical skills,” Mr. Geary stated.

Weeks 2 and 3 will move to Kumasi for hands-on surgical training, focusing on complex procedures such as surgical retina, oculoplastics, and strabismus.

These surgeries directly address some of the leading causes of avoidable blindness and vision loss in Ghana, which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), affects approximately 227,000 Ghanaians.

Ghana National Eye Health Policy Urged

Adolf Ollennu, Country Director of Orbis Ghana, emphasised the urgent need for the implementation of a comprehensive government eye health policy to address funding and support gaps in eye care.

“As we look ahead, we also urge the government to continue supporting the finalisation and implementation of the Ghana National Eye Health Policy. This policy will provide a clear roadmap to meet the country’s eye care needs and help us achieve the ‘Vision 2030: In Sight’ targets to which Ghana is firmly committed,” Mr. Ollenu appealed.

Over recent decades, Orbis Ghana, in close partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, teaching hospitals, the Ghana Education Service, and professional eye care associations, has “worked tirelessly to build a strong and sustainable eye care system.”

“Together, we’ve brought treatment and prevention within reach for countless individuals across the country,” he added.

He stressed the importance of regular eye check-ups, noting that safe, high-quality treatment is now available in local communities.

“You don’t need to travel abroad to receive world-class care,” he assured.

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