Fundamental XR announced in a press release that its collaboration with Orbis International to deliver a virtual reality ophthalmic training program across Africa has reported strong momentum and measurable success in the first half of this year.
According to Fundamental XR, the initiative, which uses the company's immersive surgical simulation platform, is helping early stage ophthalmologists build skills faster and more safely before entering the operating room. With 5 simulator kits deployed across 4 African countries—Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Ghana—the program supports hands-on training in regions where access to surgical training resources and mentorship opportunities can be limited.
At Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Ghana, Fundamental XR said the program has rapidly evolved into one of Orbis’s most prolific global partners using the VR simulator, with a small, dedicated cohort of just 13 first-year residents—with a log of more than 230 hours of surgical simulation this year, averaging over 14 hours and more than 40 complete manual small incision cataract surgery procedures per resident.
Fundamental XR said this success is the direct result of a highly structured, mandatory curriculum designed by the hospital’s clinical faculty. To maximize efficiency on a single training system, KBTH divides residents into rotating clinics and lab blocks during formal working hours. The simulator operates as a strict prerequisite: Participants must clear this initial virtual track before moving to wet labs, establishing a mandatory layer of simulation proficiency before they are allowed to initiate live patient cases.
According to the company, this faculty-driven accountability has catalyzed a healthy, competitive culture of continuous learning—one that Adolf Ollennu, Orbis Ghana Country Director, brought to a global audience when he presented the success of the program at 2030 IN SIGHT Live. By enabling residents to repeatedly practice procedures and receive instant feedback, the program has accelerated surgical readiness in a safe environment before students ever operate on real patients, Fundamental XR stated in the press release.
“What makes the simulator so valuable is that you can make mistakes, learn from them, and improve without putting patients at risk,” said first-year resident Patrick Sapana-Kosa. “The repetition and feedback helped me become more confident and better prepared when moving into real surgical settings.”
In addition, Fundamental XR said the program is unlocking substantial operational and financial efficiencies for the hospital. KBTH clinical faculty report that because residents master basic surgical sequences virtually, wet lab instruction has shifted from basic step-teaching to high-level mentoring. This foundational preparation, the company said, has led to a noticeable drop in errors during wet lab sessions, driving direct cost savings through reduced tissue waste and the optimized utilization of sutures and viscoelastic materials.
The Orbis VR program now spans 22 partner institutions across 9 countries. To date, it has delivered more than 2,700 training sessions and 1,100+ hours of surgical practice to nearly 400 users worldwide, with its footprint expanding even further as partners leverage the technology for external student workshops, Fundamental XR said in the press release.