Centre For Sight's Theatre Manager Yvonne How recently flew out as a volunteer faculty to join the Flying Eye Hospital in their programme in Denang, Vietnam.

Teaming up with Orbis she travelled in the worlds only flying Eye Hospital, a DC-10 aircraft converted into an innovative teaching facility and ophthalmic surgical centre. Since 1982, the flying Eye Hospital and its international team of volunteer medical professionals have provided education and training for doctors, nurses and other health professionals in more than 70 countries. Everywhere it goes, the plane also increases awareness of global blindness and potential solutions. The flying Eye Hospital serves as an inspiration to health care providers, government leaders and nations around the world.

The major causes of blindness in Vietnam and regional countries are non-operated cataract and glaucoma, followed by diabetic retinopathy and uncorrected refractive errors. The cornea becomes cloudy; light cannot penetrate the eye to reach the light-sensitive retina. Poor vision or blindness may result. In corneal transplant surgery, the surgeon removes the central portion of the cloudy cornea and replaces it with a clear one, it’s important to train doctors to perform corneal transplant operations.

During the trip Yvonne taught vital skills and treated conditions common to the area that have robbed the community of a brighter future.

Simple, cheap and quick operations like that of removing a cataract can save a person for losing their livelihood, independence and becoming a burden on their family. The skills and equipment needed to help are often lacking in the places where they are needed the most.

ORBIS works in some of the poorest communities in the world, transferring skills and ensuring equipment is in place to enable local eye care teams to treat the blinding conditions common in their area.

As a volunteer for ORBIS since 2008 Yvonne has enjoyed being part of the tangible and practical solution to avoidable blindness in developing countries.

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