Through our partnership, we aim to continue strengthening the National Institute of Ophthalmology's existing residency program by enhancing the curriculum and providing critical resources for training and education.
Orbis has already published training curriculum for cataract surgery, and is now planning to roll out similar tools to help treat the 570,000 Bolivians living with low vision and to address the growing burden of retinopathy of prematurity. With support from partners and donors, we will utilize our online telemedicine platform, Cybersight, to deliver webinars and reinforce learning. We also plan to hold in-person training projects at local hospitals with our teams of world-leading Volunteer Faculty. This tailored "blended learning" approach is proven to be the best way to improve the quality of eye care available, at scale.
On top of training, there is also an urgent need to equip National Institute of Ophthalmology with the necessary tools to detect and treat retinopathy of prematurity and low vision, as well as ensure the simulation center has the capacity to receive residents from other public hospitals around Bolivia. This will help more eye teams get the training they need, and have the tools required, to deliver the care patients deserve.
Community outreach for both cataracts and refractive error is also critical for raising awareness of the importance of seeking eye care. Orbis is planning to support National Institute of Ophthalmology with logistics, training, and equipment in this area, with the goal of raising the number of surgeries and sight-saving interventions being sought.
You can help Orbis improve the quality of eye care available throughout Bolivia, by donating below.