Yaounde, Cameroon  Flying Eye Hospital 4 week program - October 9 - November 3, 2017      
Dr Carlos Solarte performing strabismus simulation surgery in the Flying Eye Hospital on World Sight Day. (Yaounde, Cameroon)

The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), an initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF), has announced that the world’s only fully-functioning accredited eye hospital on board an aircraft will be visiting Doha this fall to coincide with the WISH 2018 Summit, taking place on 13-14 November at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).

The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, operated by global eye health charity Orbis, is a fully converted cargo plane and state-of-the-art teaching facility complete with operating room, classroom, and recovery room. The aircraft will be landing ahead of the summit in order to allow healthcare professionals and Qatar-based supporters of Orbis to tour the plane.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to hear about ‘Qatar Creating Vision’, an initiative funded by Qatar Fund for Development and implemented by Orbis. These events will take place during the inaugural Doha Healthcare Week, a week of healthcare-related community-based events taking place before WISH 2018.

WISH’s biennial Doha summits have quickly become a major highlight of the global healthcare calendar for thousands of high-level policymakers, academics, and professionals who attend. The event is also a key platform for the dissemination of healthcare innovation and best practices.

The aircraft is being hosted in Doha through Qatar Airways’ long-standing support of Orbis and, for the first time, WISH is offering 20 members of the public the opportunity to have an exclusive tour of the plane on 6 November, the first day of Doha Healthcare Week. In addition, Orbis’ elite team of eye care specialists will host Preferred Practices Workshops with doctors and nurses working in Qatar, in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health.

WISH Partnerships Manager Nick Bradshaw said they are delighted to welcome such an important and pioneering healthcare facility as the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital to Qatar. He said that Orbis’s state-of-the-art mobile operating theatre and teaching facility is a strong fit with their mission to highlight innovation that is making a difference for healthcare communities everywhere.

Eye health is one of the nine themes forming the focus of this year’s summit, and the Orbis team will also have a presence within QNCC at the summit itself, during which they will have the opportunity to interact with the local and international healthcare experts in attendance.’

Florence Branchu, Orbis Head of Partnerships for Middle East said they too, are excited to be working with WISH 2018 to offer residents of Qatar the opportunity to see their Flying Eye Hospital, which has been restoring sight all around the world since 1982.

We look forward to welcoming members of the public selected by WISH and our local partners on board this unique aircraft, to celebrate the incredible milestones of Qatar Fund for Development through ‘Qatar Creating Vision’ initiative.’

Qatar residents aged over 16 years old who are interested to visit the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital should send their application through email ([email protected]) by Thursday, 13 September. Visit wish.org.qa for updates and more information. You can also visit gbr.orbis.org for more information about the Flying Eye Hospital.