ORBIS Welcomes Syrian President Aboard Flying Eye Hospital

30 June 2008

Aleppo, Syria, June 25, 2008– Today, Syrian President Dr. Bashar al-Assad boarded the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital—the world’s only airborne ophthalmic training facility—to observe Syrian doctors and nurses working side-by-side with the international ORBIS medical team to restore sight to people who are needlessly blind.

“I enjoyed very much visiting the ORBIS aircraft to see the state-of-the-art ophthalmology. It’s a great initiative. Although a charity, its mission is als a cultural one. People learn about each other through dialogue and cooperation, which is the best way. I wish the staff of ORBIS all the best,” said President Dr. al-Assad as he toured ORBIS’ unique DC-10 aircraft while surgery was taking place.

At the invitation of Syria’s Ministry of Health, the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital team returned to Aleppo to conduct an intensive sight-saving training program from June 15–26, 2008.

The program offered the local ophthalmic community the opportunity to exchange skills with international ophthalmologists so that they would be better equipped to treat and prevent eye diseases prevalent throughout the country.

Among those providing hands-on training, surgical demonstrations, diagnostic and post-operative consultations and lectures were doctors from Alaska, California, Montana, New York and Ohio as well as Colombia, Ecuador, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

“As a trained ophthalmologist, it was a personal and professional privilege to show President Dr. Bashar al-Assad the hands-on training that takes place aboard the ORBIS DC-10,” said Dr. Hunter Cherwek, medical director of the Flying Eye Hospital.

“ORBIS brings together people of diverse cultural backgrounds through the Flying Eye Hospital, not only to restore sight and share sight-saving skills and knowledge but also to expand the global network of people dedicated to preventing the escalating tragedy of unnecessary blindness,” he said.

The Aleppo Flying Eye Hospital program is the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital’s fourth visit to Syria.

The humanitarian plane has twice worked in the nation’s capital, enjoying a pair of successful programs in Damascus (June 1997 and September 1998), and once in Aleppo (April 2007). Click here to see a soundslide on ORBIS' previous visit to Aleppo.

ORBIS International is a nonprofit global development organization dedicated to saving sight worldwide. Please visit www.orbis.org.