Flying Eye Hospital project off to a flying start

After landing at Can Tho International Airport for our 12th Flying Eye Hospital project in Vietnam, and receiving a wonderful welcome, the plane was quickly transformed into hospital mode.

For our first in-person, patient-focused project since 2020, we’re bringing together 52 local eye care professionals including ophthalmologists, anaesthesiologists, nurses, and biomedical engineers to share skills with our team of expert Volunteer Faculty on board our aircraft and in partner hospitals – Can Tho Maxillo Dental and Eye Hospital and Can Tho Children Hospital.

Generously sponsored by our long-standing partner FedEx, training takes a ‘blended learning’ approach with customised virtual courses hosted on our e-learning platform, Cybersight, Complementing the hands-on training provided on the plane.

After landing, our Volunteer Faculty and Flying Eye Hospital staff hit the ground running, training teams using a full suite of cutting-edge simulation tools including virtual reality, prosthetic eyes, and life-like manikins.

Simulation training enables eye care professionals to grow in confidence by practicing surgical skills repetitively in a controlled environment, something that can’t be done on live patients. Once skills are embedded, the doctor can then move on to surgery with the careful guidance of one of our highly experienced Volunteer Faculty.

The first week of simulation training also coincided with International Nurses Day on Friday, May 12. It was amazing to see our staff and Volunteer Faculty team up with local nurses to celebrate the critical role that nurses play in delivering eye care.

Together, these extraordinary nurses are making an enormous impact by dedicating their lives to helping others. Following the training, local nurses will return to their communities with improved skills to help restore vision and deliver the best possible care for their patients for years to come.

The sight-saving project is now pushing ahead with hands-on training. Many of the patients have been 'pre-screened' via Cybersight weeks in advance, ensuring the in-person screening can be completed more efficiently.

It was an honor to welcome five-year-old Han, our first patient on board the plane since before the pandemic. Suffering from ptosis (droopy eyelid) from birth, Han received life-changing surgery to lift her eyelid, delivered by Volunteer Faculty and microplastics superstar, Dr. H. Joon Kim, while two Vietnamese ophthalmologists, Dr. Tu Ngo The Thanh and Dr. Nhan Truong Nguyen Trong, assisted and observed.

The rest of the meticulously planned project will continue to address the needs of local health personnel and contribute to the National Blindness Prevention Strategy, which was approved by the Prime Minister in 2016.

The latest data shows that there are around 23,000 children who are blind and around three million more who are visually impaired in Vietnam. Almost half a million adults in the country are blind, while an additional two million have other visual impairments. Yet, 90% of these cases can be prevented or treated.

We want to say a big thank you to FedEx for their generous sponsorship of this project. With their support, we are improving access to quality eye care for adults and children throughout the country, enabling families to see a future full of possibilities.

And of course, we also want to thank you, our fantastic supporters, for your amazing support. Your kindness is helping keep the Flying Eye Hospital in the sky, bringing eye care around the world.

While we’re making great strides in tackling avoidable blindness and vision loss in Vietnam, there are still many more people we need to reach with quality eye care. Please consider donating below.