ORBIS International
Encyclopedia
Orbis International is an international non-profit
non-governmental organization
(NGO) dedicated to saving sight worldwide. Orbis programs focus on the prevention of blindness and the treatment of blinding eye diseases in developing countries. Since 1982, Orbis capacity-building programs have enhanced the skills of more than 195,000 eye care personnel and provided eye care treatment to more than 6.8 million people in 86 countries.
Orbis is best known for its "Flying Eye Hospital," an ophthalmic hospital and teaching facility located on board a DC-10 jet aircraft. Orbis volunteer pilots fly the plane and its international medical team to developing countries around the world to teach urgently needed sight-saving skills. Local patients receive free treatment during this training.
Orbis is headquartered in New York, with offices in Toronto
, London
, Dublin, Hong Kong
, Macau
, Shanghai
, Kunming
, Taipei
, Addis Ababa
, Delhi
, Dhaka
and Hanoi
.
In addition to the Flying Eye Hospital, Orbis operates hospital-based programs in several countries and works with local medical research and health-care organizations on blindness prevention and eye disease treatment. An Orbis telemedicine program called "Cyber-Sight" uses the Internet
to connect ophthalmologists for one-on-one collaboration and mentor
ing.
Orbis is a founding partner, along with the World Health Organization
, of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, "a worldwide concerted effort designed to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020."
Orbis is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible non-profit charity in the United States.
(USAID) and a number of private donors. The first Flying Eye Hospital was a Douglas DC-8
(N220RB) donated by United Airlines
. In its first two years of operation, the Orbis DC-8 visited 24 countries and held programs emphasizing the hands-on transfer of surgical skills.
By the late 1980s, as replacement parts for the aging DC-8 became more difficult and expensive to obtain, it became clear that a newer, larger aircraft was needed. Funded by private donations, Orbis purchased its current DC-10-10 in 1992. The DC-10-10 contained twice the interior space of the original DC-8. After two years of conversion and renovation, it was placed in service in 1994, and the DC-8 was retired and donated to Datangshan
museum near Beijing
. That summer, the new Flying Eye Hospital took off on its inaugural mission to Beijing
, China.
The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is a DC-10-10 model, and was the second DC-10 aircraft built, in 1970. It was used as a test aircraft by McDonnell Douglas
, and then was acquired for passenger service by Laker Airways
. It then passed through several hands before its acquisition by Orbis in 1992 for $14 million, which registered it as N220AU.
Conversion of the aircraft took 18 months and cost a further $15 million. The work was performed by Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Inc. in Mobile, Alabama
. It was re-launched on May 7, 1994, and its first operational mission was to Beijing, China on July 23, 1994.
In addition to the flight deck, the aircraft contains (from forward to aft) a classroom, an audio-visual
room, a laser
treatment room, an operating room, a recovery room, and farthest aft, the communications center. The operating room was placed in the center of the aircraft in order to be the most stable location in case of bad weather at the location.
The classroom accommodates 48 students, generally host-country ophthalmologists, who can watch surgery as it is performed in the operating room. The classroom is also used for lectures and discussions by Orbis teaching staff.
Inside the audio-visual room are the controls for the 16 cameras, eight microphones and 54 television
monitors. These permit viewing of surgery in the classroom and elsewhere on and off the aircraft. Surgical procedures are recorded, edited and duplicated on board so that a record of the procedures taught during each program can be donated to the host-country ophthalmic community.
The laser treatment room contains laser-based diagnostic
tools and laboratory stations for use with animal-eye surgical practice training.
The lower deck (belly) of the aircraft contains an equipment laboratory and technical center where Orbis biomedical engineers teach host-country technicians how to maintain and repair ophthalmological equipment.
On April 7, 2008, Orbis announced it would replace its current DC-10 Flying Eye Hospital with a DC-10 Series 30 freighter. United Airlines
, with the support of FedEx
, is donating the airplane to Orbis. The $2 million donation is based on the plane’s estimated value and is being funded equally by United and FedEx.
On August 8, 2011, Fedex announced that it would donate one of its MD-10-30Fs to ORBIS to replace it's DC-10-10. The new MD-10 will feature a modular hospital suite, the first time these units will have been used on an aircraft.
(in conjunction with Islamia Eye Hospital
), China
, Ethiopia
, India
, Latin America
and Vietnam
. Orbis coordinates multi-year projects focusing on the prevention and treatment of the regions’ most prevalent eye diseases.
In each country, Orbis works with its local partner institutions to increase their capacity to provide comprehensive, affordable and sustainable eye care services over the long term. The programs include developing specialized hospital facilities, eye bank
s, patient and health care worker training, and prevention and treatment programs.
Orbis also operates short-term, hospital-based training and specialized treatment programs in places where it is not possible to land the DC-10 aircraft.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO) dedicated to saving sight worldwide. Orbis programs focus on the prevention of blindness and the treatment of blinding eye diseases in developing countries. Since 1982, Orbis capacity-building programs have enhanced the skills of more than 195,000 eye care personnel and provided eye care treatment to more than 6.8 million people in 86 countries.
Orbis is best known for its "Flying Eye Hospital," an ophthalmic hospital and teaching facility located on board a DC-10 jet aircraft. Orbis volunteer pilots fly the plane and its international medical team to developing countries around the world to teach urgently needed sight-saving skills. Local patients receive free treatment during this training.
Orbis is headquartered in New York, with offices in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Dublin, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
and Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
.
In addition to the Flying Eye Hospital, Orbis operates hospital-based programs in several countries and works with local medical research and health-care organizations on blindness prevention and eye disease treatment. An Orbis telemedicine program called "Cyber-Sight" uses the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
to connect ophthalmologists for one-on-one collaboration and mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
ing.
Orbis is a founding partner, along with the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
, of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, "a worldwide concerted effort designed to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020."
Orbis is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible non-profit charity in the United States.
History
Orbis was founded in 1982 with a grant from the U.S. Agency for International DevelopmentUnited States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
(USAID) and a number of private donors. The first Flying Eye Hospital was a Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
(N220RB) donated by United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
. In its first two years of operation, the Orbis DC-8 visited 24 countries and held programs emphasizing the hands-on transfer of surgical skills.
By the late 1980s, as replacement parts for the aging DC-8 became more difficult and expensive to obtain, it became clear that a newer, larger aircraft was needed. Funded by private donations, Orbis purchased its current DC-10-10 in 1992. The DC-10-10 contained twice the interior space of the original DC-8. After two years of conversion and renovation, it was placed in service in 1994, and the DC-8 was retired and donated to Datangshan
Datangshan
Datangshan is the name of a hill in the Changping District of Beijing, China. It is the site of China's largest aviation museum, the China Aviation Museum....
museum near Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. That summer, the new Flying Eye Hospital took off on its inaugural mission to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China.
The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
, and then was acquired for passenger service by Laker Airways
Laker Airways
Laker Airways was a wholly private, British independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline founded by Sir Freddie Laker in 1966. It originally was a charter airline flying passengers and cargo worldwide...
. It then passed through several hands before its acquisition by Orbis in 1992 for $14 million, which registered it as N220AU.
Conversion of the aircraft took 18 months and cost a further $15 million. The work was performed by Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Inc. in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. It was re-launched on May 7, 1994, and its first operational mission was to Beijing, China on July 23, 1994.
In addition to the flight deck, the aircraft contains (from forward to aft) a classroom, an audio-visual
Audio-visual
The term Audio-Visual may refer to works with both a sound and a visual component, the production or use of such works, or to equipment used to create and present such works...
room, a laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
treatment room, an operating room, a recovery room, and farthest aft, the communications center. The operating room was placed in the center of the aircraft in order to be the most stable location in case of bad weather at the location.
The classroom accommodates 48 students, generally host-country ophthalmologists, who can watch surgery as it is performed in the operating room. The classroom is also used for lectures and discussions by Orbis teaching staff.
Inside the audio-visual room are the controls for the 16 cameras, eight microphones and 54 television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
monitors. These permit viewing of surgery in the classroom and elsewhere on and off the aircraft. Surgical procedures are recorded, edited and duplicated on board so that a record of the procedures taught during each program can be donated to the host-country ophthalmic community.
The laser treatment room contains laser-based diagnostic
Medical diagnosis
Medical diagnosis refers both to the process of attempting to determine or identify a possible disease or disorder , and to the opinion reached by this process...
tools and laboratory stations for use with animal-eye surgical practice training.
The lower deck (belly) of the aircraft contains an equipment laboratory and technical center where Orbis biomedical engineers teach host-country technicians how to maintain and repair ophthalmological equipment.
On April 7, 2008, Orbis announced it would replace its current DC-10 Flying Eye Hospital with a DC-10 Series 30 freighter. United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, with the support of FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
, is donating the airplane to Orbis. The $2 million donation is based on the plane’s estimated value and is being funded equally by United and FedEx.
On August 8, 2011, Fedex announced that it would donate one of its MD-10-30Fs to ORBIS to replace it's DC-10-10. The new MD-10 will feature a modular hospital suite, the first time these units will have been used on an aircraft.
Other programs
In addition to the Flying Eye Hospital, Orbis operates permanent programs with local partners in several countries. As of 2008, these included BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
(in conjunction with Islamia Eye Hospital
Islamia Eye Hospital
The Islamia Eye Hospital is an ophthalmological hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The hospital was founded by Bangladeshi philanthropist Mirza Ahmad Ispahani in 1960....
), China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Orbis coordinates multi-year projects focusing on the prevention and treatment of the regions’ most prevalent eye diseases.
In each country, Orbis works with its local partner institutions to increase their capacity to provide comprehensive, affordable and sustainable eye care services over the long term. The programs include developing specialized hospital facilities, eye bank
Eye bank
Eye banks retrieve and store eyes for cornea transplants and research. US eye banks provide tissue for about 46,000 cornea transplants a year to treat conditions such as keratoconus and cornea scarring. The cornea is not the only part of the eye that can currently undergo transplantation. The...
s, patient and health care worker training, and prevention and treatment programs.
Orbis also operates short-term, hospital-based training and specialized treatment programs in places where it is not possible to land the DC-10 aircraft.
External links
- Vision 2020: The Right to Sight
- http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=N220AU&distinct_entry=true
- http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?regsearch=N220AU&view=true