Discover the world's only flying hospital in Vietnam

The hospital can fly continuously for 10 hours, fully equipped with functional rooms from examination, surgery to post-operative rooms, training...

Orbis’s third generation flying hospital will arrive in Binh Dinh for the first time in 12 days. The volunteer team of doctors, who are the best experts from many countries, will perform surgeries on more than 100 patients and focus on ophthalmology training for doctors and medical staff of Binh Dinh Eye Hospital and Binh Dinh General Hospital.

The training program will focus on in-depth clinical practice in examination and surgery for diseases that can cause blindness such as glaucoma, cataracts, medical retinal treatment, strabismus surgery in children...

The flying hospital will land at Phu Cat airport, Binh Dinh for 12 days to perform eye surgery on more than 100 patients and directly train Binh Dinh doctors.

Dr. Jonathan Lord, Global Medical Director of Orbis, said that according to a 2015 survey in the South Central and Central Highlands, there are about 100,000 blind people, 70% due to cataracts.

In addition, there are nearly 75,000 children with eye diseases and over 400,000 children with refractive errors. Children with refractive errors, if not corrected with glasses, will lead to impaired vision, even blindness.

Orbis is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that works to support eye care and blindness prevention in many developing countries.

Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is the only modern ophthalmology training model in the world, compacted on the MD-10 aircraft. From 1982 to now, this is the 3rd generation aircraft.

In Vietnam, this is the 5th time that BV has returned to fly. Before coming to Binh Dinh, BV has flown to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho.

This flying hospital is 55.3 m long, 17.8 m high, and has a wingspan of 50 m, almost as long as a Boeing 777, but is heavier due to having to "carry" a series of machines.

To ensure long trips, the new aircraft has an expanded fuel tank, allowing it to fly continuously for 8-10 hours, instead of 5 hours as before.

After being renovated, the flying hospital cabin is 610 square meters wide, enough to be designed into a miniature hospital including: Examination room, operating room, operating room, post-operative room, laser treatment room, instrument sterilization room, online training room, modeling room and equipment maintenance area...

From the operating room, 3D eye surgery images will be transmitted live to the training room and all over the world.

Dr. Phi Duy Tien, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital, said that the machines on the flying hospital are the dream of Vietnamese doctors. Among them is a new cataract surgery machine, allowing surgery with a size of 2-2.2mm, while the normal size is 3-3.2mm, helping to improve the quality of visual recovery after surgery.

Some pictures of the only flying hospital in the world:

Waiting room before surgery

Doctors carefully review patient records

Operating room with the most modern equipment available today

Volunteer surgeons are skilled professionals from 80 countries.

Vietnamese doctors will directly participate in the surgeries.

Images from the operating room will be transmitted live to the training room via 3D television system and broadcast around the world.

Training room with capacity of 46 seats

Captain Michael James Flood has over 20 years of experience, including over 2 years with BV Bay.

Location of functional rooms on the flying hospital

According to VNN