Orbis International and Sankara Eye Hospital launch new digital training hub

Orbis International President & CEO Kathleen Sherwin virtually inaugurated the new Digital Training Hub (DTH) at Sankara Eye Hospital, Bengaluru, in the presence of Dr B. L. Sujatha Rathod, Director of Medical Education (DME), Govt. of Karnataka, Padma Shri Dr R. V. Ramani, Founder of Sankara Eye Foundation, Vijay Bharadwaj, former Test cricketer, coach and cricket commentator, and other distinguished dignitaries, strengthening the organisations' partnership to expand access to high-quality ophthalmic training and enhance the competencies and skills of the eye care workforce across Karnataka and South India.

The new hub is designed to strengthen training capacity by creating a connected learning environment that extends beyond the physical facility. It brings together in-person simulation and clinical training with technology-enabled learning, global expertise and ongoing virtual mentorship.

The model combines simulation-based learning, virtual reality-enabled training and hands-on clinical experience with Cybersight, Orbis's telemedicine and e-learning platform, and Orbis's global network of Volunteer Faculty.

Through this integrated approach, eye care professionals can participate in structured, hands-on training while continuing to access online courses, clinical resources, case discussions, remote surgical mentorship and expert guidance beyond the physical training environment. This enables learning and mentorship to continue over time, creating a scalable model for strengthening skills through strong local institutions supported by technology and global expertise.

The DTH will support ophthalmologists, ophthalmologists-in-training, ophthalmic nurses and other eye health professionals through hospital-based training, observerships, fellowships and remote surgical mentorship. It is expected to support approximately 200 eye health professionals annually across Karnataka and South India, with a focus on training in medical retina for ophthalmologists.

Sankara Eye Hospital, Bengaluru, is a 225-bed super-specialty eye hospital serving patients from Bengaluru and across Karnataka. The hospital also houses the Sankara Vision Academy, which offers DNB, fellowship and optometry programmes, providing an established platform for the training and development of eye care professionals.