Orbis Flying Eye Hospital Lands in Pampanga for a Two-Week Ophthalmic Skills Exchange Program

FedEx-Sponsored Program Will Provide Comprehensive Hands-On Training to Eye Care Professionals From Central Luzon

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Jun 25, 2014, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, June 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbis, in cooperation with longtime global sponsor FedEx, is bringing the Flying Eye Hospital back to Pampanga, Philippines for a two-week intensive ophthalmic skills exchange program aimed at strengthening the skills and subspecialty training of ophthalmologists throughout the Central Luzon region.

Orbis works side-by-side with local partners to provide eye care professionals including optometrists, nurses, anesthesiologists and biomedical engineers with continuing medical education through workshop, lectures and hands-on training. Learn more: orbis.org. (PRNewsFoto/Orbis)

Patient Rafael Lopez, 7, rests after undergoing surgery on his right eye during a 2012 Flying Eye Hospital program in the Philippines. Learn more: orbis.org. (PRNewsFoto/Orbis)

Orbis operates the Flying Eye Hospital (FEH), a fully equipped mobile teaching hospital. On the outside, the plane is like most other aircraft. Inside, it's like no other - it hosts an ophthalmic hospital and teaching facility right on board. Learn more: orbis.org. (PRNewsFoto/Orbis)

In conjunction with Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital and with support from the Central Luzon Society of Ophthalmology, the program will strengthen the delivery of eye care services in Central Luzon by improving the skills and knowledge of the local ophthalmic community in cataract pediatric ophthalmology, orbits and oculoplastics, adult glaucoma, and medical retina.

"Orbis has been working for many years to improve the quality of ophthalmic services in the Philippines through a combination of different training programs," said Dr. Ahmed Gomaa, Medical Director of the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital. "We look forward to the Flying Eye Hospital's visit to Pampanga and are grateful to our longtime sponsor, FedEx, whose generous support has made it possible for Orbis to conduct programs all over the world. We are excited to continue working together to eliminate avoidable blindness and deliver the highest standards of training."

The Pampanga program will continue to help raise public attention on the eye care conditions and challenges faced in the country. Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and in the Philippines accounts for more than half a million cases annually. The cost of healthcare services in urban areas and a lack of trained specialists for residents of rural areas represent two of the biggest obstacles to improving access to eye care in the country.

"As the global sponsor for more than 30 years, FedEx continues to support the Orbis mission to eliminate avoidable blindness worldwide," said Rhicke Jennings, managing director, FedEx Express Philippines and Indonesia. "Supporting programs that address the social needs of local communities is a vital component of the FedEx long-term commitment to the Philippines. This year's Pampanga visit gives us the opportunity to support Orbis in its goal of eliminating avoidable blindness in the country."

As part of its global initiative to combat avoidable blindness and in support of Orbis's skills exchange approach, FedEx will sponsor a fellowship to a promising ophthalmologist in the Philippines. The FedEx Fellowship, which began in 2006, has been awarded to ophthalmologists from China, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Peru, the Philippines and Vietnam.

About Orbis

Orbis is a nonprofit, humanitarian organization that prevents and treats blindness through hands-on training, public health education, improved access to quality eye care, advocacy and partnerships with local health care organizations. By building long-term capabilities, Orbis helps its partner institutions take action to reach a state where they can provide, on their own, quality eye care services that are affordable, accessible, and sustainable. To learn more about Orbis, please visit www.orbis.org.

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $46 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com

SOURCE Orbis