On medical mission: Orbis flying hospital is parked at Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force base in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

While traveling the world to cure the visually impaired, a mobile surgery room spreads knowledge to local doctors.

Dozens of local ophthalmologists sit in a classroom, all eyes focus on a screen displaying eye surgery taking place in the adjoining operating theater.

Between explanations by a surgeon about each step taken in the surgery, the participating ophthalmologists can ask questions of her

Unlike regular medical class, this one is taking place aboard a stationary plane that travels to cities around the world, offering intensive training and a skills exchange program as well as free eye treatment for the visually impaired.

The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital (FEH) has landed in Makassar, South Sulawesi, and is parked at Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force base for the training, which runs until May 30.

FEH first came to Indonesia in 1982, and again in 2010 to Jakarta and Surabaya, East Java. The plane returned to Jakarta in 2012 for a multiple subspecialty three-week program.

For many regions in the country where health infrastructure and trained medics are still major problems, the hospital'€™s visits doesn'€™t only cure patients but also expand knowledge of local doctors where it lands.

For the fifth program in the country, Orbis has teamed up with Hasanuddin University (Unhas) and the Indonesian Ophthalmologist Association (Perdami) to organize training that gives hands-on experience and skills exchange in the areas of advanced cataract, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, medical and surgical retina and pediatric ophthalmology.

The two-week training course is not only for ophthalmologists but also medical education designed for nurses, anesthesiologists, biomedical engineers and other healthcare professionals.

Participants interact closely with 20 volunteer specialists from other countries who are highly trained and certified experts with teaching experience in their respective fields.

'€œThe good thing about it is that we'€™re covering both the local and national level. We'€™re working with participants from all over in Indonesia, spending a whole week here. They have the opportunity to observe, ask and engage '€” a very good experience,'€ FEH medical director Ahmed Gomaa said.

Habibah Muhiddin, chairwoman of the ophthalmology department at Unhas, said besides Makassar, many trainees also came from other cities, including Bali and Manado in North Sulawesi.

'€œMost of the participants are residents and young ophthalmologists. By participating in this program, we hope they can learn particular techniques or approaches from the experts that regular curriculum does not cover,'€ she said.

For surgical training, doctors previously screened patients.

'€œWe'€™re not looking for rare cases, but the ones which can be a good example on how to practice the technique and are suitable for teaching practices,'€ Amy Tan, director of Orbis Singapore, said.

She added that younger patients and those who did not have the financial means for operations were prioritized.

Not all training and surgery take place on the plane. Wet Lab training for residents to learn more about cataract surgery by using the manual, small incision technique and the more advanced technique of phacoemulsification as well as other eye surgeries are conducted at the Hasanuddin University Hospital.

Well-equipped: A patient rests in a recovery room after surgery.

Surgeries are all recorded and copies of the recordings are given to the hospital as teaching material.

One patient whose vision was restored through this program is Nurhana Ibrahim from Parepare, around 150 kilometers from Makassar. She said she had heard about the program from her son, who had a friend who was an ophthalmologist.

She agreed to participate in the screening and was chosen as a patient to be operated on the stationary plane. Just one day after the operation she could see out of her left eye.

'€œI was too scared to undergo surgery before, but after five years of having a cataract, I guess it was time. I am so glad I can see again,'€ the 58-year-old said while waiting for her post-surgery checkup on the plane.

Joni Watson from Orbis said that after six weeks, FEH staff doctors would return to Makassar to check on patients who underwent surgery in the program.

'€œDoctors will also stay in contact, uploading cases on the website and exchanging information and knowledge to keep this program sustainable,'€ she said.

Orbis was initiated by Houston ophthalmologist David Paton in 1973. He was motivated by the fact that 80 percent of visual impairment in the world could be avoided or cured. He envisioned the use of aviation to deliver medical education around the world.

In 1982, the FEH took off from Houston for its first program in Panama with a DC-8 aircraft donated by United Airlines. Since then it has traveled to 92 countries to help enhance the skills of more than 325,000 eye care professionals and provided treatment to over 23.3 million blind and visually impaired people.

Since 2010, the FEH has used a McDonnell-Douglas DC-10 aircraft. The plane was donated by FedEx and the engine supplied by United Airlines.  It has an operating theater complete with surgery instruments, a 48-seat classroom, audiovisual studio, a laser treatment room and a recovery room.

The 52.12-meter-long plane is also equipped with intraocular lenses, microscopes and onboard water filters that ensure that the hospital has water that is safe to sterilize surgical devices with.

To insure air quality, especially in the operating theater, the aircraft also carries its own hospital-grade air compressor. The airflow begins in the operating theater and filters out to the rest of the aircraft.

Soon after the program in Indonesia ends, the plane will continue its journey to the Philippines and Mongolia.

'€” Photos by Novia D. Rulistia