Orbis International Provides Ophthalmic Training in Central Vietnam

Orbis International, non-profit dedicated to bringing quality eye health worldwide, has come back to Vietnam for the sixth time to provide a two-week intensive ophthalmic training to Vietnamese doctors in the central city of Hue. The program, which will run until May 15, 2015, will provide training on pediatric ophthalmology to doctors at the Hue Central Hospital and the Hue Eye Hospital, the organization said on its website. The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is the world’s only accredited eye training hospital aboard a DC-10 aircraft. The training is part of a project to be carried out from July 2014 till June 2018 worth more than $1 million, providing eye care services for children in Vietnam’s northern and central provinces. Of the amount, Orbis is sponsoring $900,000 with medical equipment valued at over $30,000, while the remaining will be sourced from reciprocal capital given to the two aforementioned hospitals. Between January 2010 and March 2013, Orbis implemented a project on raising the capacity for eye care professionals in central Vietnam, with financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency. According to some recent international studies, it is estimated that about 3 million Vietnamese children have poor eyesight, with over 23,000 children completely blind. Central Vietnam has the highest number of blind children with 4,900, mainly related to retinal or corneal problems. (Thanhniennews.com May 6)