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ORBIS UPDATE
THE TRUE LEGACY OF
ORBIS FLYING EYE HOSPITAL
- HOW DR. LUU TONG DEVELOPPED FROM TRAINEE TO TRAINER
By Natasha Lee, Senior Communications Officer- Orbis UK
When asked what differentiates Orbis, what makes Orbis unique in the blindness prevention community, four things
come to mind: Flying Eye Hospital, incredible Volunteer Faculty, country programs and the train the trainer model- all
designed for local empowerment and sustainability. Orbis is fighting avoidable blindness through two avenues, by
helping patients and through a legacy of training- this combined approach is
where Orbis true impact lies.
I was therefore excited to speak with Dr. Andrew Choyce (the Flying Eye
Hospital staff anesthetist) and Dr. Luu Tong (Volunteer Faculty,
anesthesiology) during a visit on the plane to Bihn Dihn, Vietnam earlier this
year. They shared her 11-year journey with Orbis, where she has developed
from a medical professional undergoing training with Dr. Choyce and fellow
Orbis anesthesiologists, to a member of the Volunteer Faculty, sharing her
knowledge and experience both within Vietnam and abroad. Their story
perfectly demonstrates the legacy our training programs.
Dr. Choyce(right) and Dr Luu (center)
Dr. Luu can you tell us about your training journey with Orbis?
I first met Orbis and Andrew [Choyce] on their planning visits back in 2005 at my hospital in Da Nang, Vietnam. At the
time I was the only anaesthesiologist and there was only me to deal with patients and very small babies. I was so
scared because I was alone, so I only worked on patients five years old or
above.
The Flying Eye Hospital has come to our hospital four times since and
volunteers and Orbis staff, like Andrew, have come on their own to work
with us. Thanks to Orbis, I now have the confidence to help much younger
patients, I comfortably anesthetise children from one month old!
Even more valuable is that before I could anaesthetize younger children,
babies had to travel to Ho Chi Min, or Hanoi, which is very far away and
hospital in Da Nang, Vietnam
some parents couldn’ t afford it or the condition could be too complicated
to transport the child, so many children couldn’ t get the treatments they
needed. But now we can care for children in the center of Vietnam and the highlands at my hospital.
My teacher, Andrew, was the first Orbis volunteer I met. I have worked with him many times and sometimes I email him
on complicated cases for advice. He helps me a lot, which is great as there is a lot to do at the hospital.
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