Where We Work: COVID-19 Response

Xiao Ying, our Flying Eye Hospital staff nurse from Wuhan, China, has been living in the epicenter of the pandemic. She wrote an article on the role of nursing & infection control in hospital settings during COVID-19 that has been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. By sharing her expertise & knowledge, Xiao has been able to save lives.

Anesthesiologist Dr. Choyce has been with Orbis for more than 15 years. During the pandemic he's been using his skills to fight COVID-19 on the frontline, working in ICUs & literally saving lives. The training he's provided to partners globally as part of our projects will mean many anesthesiologists are now in a better position to save lives.

Online lectures and courses are being delivered to participants from Orbis-partnered hospitals in Lusaka, Ndola & Chupata through our telemedicine platform Cybersight. This online training is the first step of our blended learning platform which will culminate with in-person training in Zambia on the Flying Eye Hospital when normal service resumes.

The Susrut Eye Foundation and Research Center is bringing emergency eye care to the doorstep of patients who need it most through their "Reach Out for Eye Emergency" program. Each Vision Van is headed by a doctor, an optometrist, and two medical assistants. This team provides urgent eye care by screening and diagnosing emergency cases on board.

Local eye health Assistants and Drivers are working to keep their communities safe during the pandemic while routine eye services are temporarily suspended. During the pandemic, the drivers have shifted gears to spread awareness for COVID-19 and transport essential healthcare workers.

Long time Orbis partner, Dr. Luz Gordillo, has not stopped her sight saving work during the pandemic. She continues to care for premature babies at risk of Retinopathy of Prematurity, a disease that cannot wait for the pandemic to end. She is putting her own health on line to ensure that these babies do not live a life of unnecessary blindness.

Akhand Jyoti, one of our partner hospitals, has gone above & beyond in their response to COVID-19. With many patients in vulnerable groups who have lost their ability to earn money during the pandemic, they have handed out more than 11,500 packages - ensuring families don't go hungry. They also teach villagers to wash hands & stay a safe distance.

Our amazing partner hospital Sadguru Netra Chikitsalya is using a local women's group to sew and stitch protective clothing for health workers continuing emergency eye care. The women are given four days training and earn a basic income from their work as the hospital purchases the equipment at a fair price.

Staff at Mazharul Haque BNSB Eye Hospital have worked tirelessly to ensure urgent eye care can continue and the Orbis supported Vision Center remains OPEN. They've been trained to recognize the symptoms of Covid infection, to promote good hand washing practices, physical distancing and the use of masks to help the wider population combat the virus.

Some of our wonderful Volunteer Faculty members are using their free time to raise vital funds for emergency eye care. Dr. Donny Suh is one such volunteer. He put his fear of dancing to one side to raise more than $3000 and put a smile on everyone's face with this hilarious routine. What a wonderful family!

Dr. Helena Hurairah is an ophthalmologist from Brunei who has been volunteering with us since 2018. On top of training doctors on our Zambia Flying Eye Hospital virtual program, she is also on the front lines of the pandemic in her home country, working with other healthcare professionals to test citizens for coronavirus.