Donal Brosnahan is a Pediatric Ophthalmologist and has been a member of the Orbis Volunteer Faculty since 2006, when he first visited the Flying Eye Hospital in Addis Ababa. Since then, Donal has returned to Ethiopia eleven times. What he leaves behind each time, is even more valuable than the sight regained by the children and adults he personally treated. The main component of the teaching is skills transfer, so that there is a lasting impact following the program.
In 2012, Donal was joined by Tony McAleer who is an orthoptist in the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Dublin. Since then Tony has also been to Ethiopia five times. Together they have also travelled to Orbis programmes in Vietnam.
On Friday 18 November 2022, Donal and Tony travelled to Ethiopia again, looking forward not only to join the Orbis Ireland Group as they take on the Great Ethiopian Run, but also to conduct hospital-based training at Menelik II Hospital in Addis Ababa. Where they held lectures in the mornings, and carried out hands on training in examining and management of patients. And in the afternoons they carried out simulation training.
The hospital-based training provides training in the setting where the patients are normally treated, and this results in the development of strategies that will be effective in that setting. Donal and Tony enjoyed catching up with old friends meeting residents starting out in their career.
We want to express a sincere thank you to Donal and Tony for their time and contributions to eye health care in Ethiopia.
