Year of the Dog - AsBAA in Action Year of the Dog - AsBAA in Action_V2 | Page 22

ORBIS UPDATE
Take a look
inside the world's
only flying eye hospital
In January, CNBC reporter Tom Chitty interviewed Orbis's Bruce Johnson, Director of Aircraft Operations and Maintenance in-depth about
Orbis’ s Flying Eye Hospital. The amazing aircraft is made up of nine modular compartments. There is the admin office, which has a hidden
stairwell down into the converted cargo hold. No longer a place for luggage, it's now used by the plane's maintenance team. Next, it's the
audio-visual room that not only takes care of the on board Wi-Fi but monitors the many cameras inside the plane. These allow surgeries to
be broadcast around the world, as well as streamed live to a 3-D TV for students sat in the classroom at the front of the plane. Towards the
back of the plane is the operating room kitted out with microscopes, scalpels and 3D monitors. Right at the back of the plane is a large
recovery room for patients. The plane is also self-sustaining. They make their own hospital grade oxygen, burn their own jet fuel to power
their equipment and have a water purifier that, according to Director of Aircraft Operations Bruce Johnson, is designed "to kill every bacteria
known to man."  This allows the plane to go into remote parts of the world, and offer top-notch services where they'd normally be
unavailable. 
“It’ s all about sustainable education in these countries. We can have as many as 15 different nationalities working at the same time
together, for the same cause.” Said Bruce Johnson.
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