Look: World’s only 'flying eye hospital' touches down in Dubai

From the onset, this aircraft looks unassuming and normal. Inside, however, is a fully functioning eye hospital, which flies to countries and helps train local eye care teams.

The front of the plane looks typical enough; seats on either side face a screen in the middle. However, this area is actually a “classroom”, where eye doctors and specialists sit to learn and interact with surgeons in the operating room. In the middle sits the administration and observation room, found in any healthcare clinic. 

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The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, a cargo plane-turned portable eye hospital, flies and trains teams of ophthalmologists around the world to raise awareness about eye health and better support local hospitals. It landed in the UAE on September 30 for its Dubai Goodwill Tour and will depart this Friday to continue its eye care advocacy. 

The plane has flown to 84 countries, most of which do no have the proper infrastructure needed to treat eye patients. 

Over the last 10 years, the Flying Eye Hospital has had more than 22.3 million eye exams, 436,000 trainings, and 607,000 lifesaving eye surgeries and laser treatments. As of late, the hospital is using 3D surgical streaming and Cybersight, which trains and mentors eye health professionals. 

• Dubai

Hind Aldah

• 

hind@khaleejtimes.com

Hind Aldah covers business, tech, crypto and all that jazz for a younger audience. In her spare time, you will find her playing classical guitar, painting amateur oil paintings, or crocheting the same old scarf that leads nowhere.