While South Africans are hoping they will have reason to smile after Saturday’s Rugby World Cup semifinal, this weekend will be even more special for 30 children and adults born with cleft lip or palates as Operation Smile SA continues in the Eastern Cape.
After the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Operation Smile SA and the Eastern Cape department of health last year, medical volunteers will return to the province for three days to give the gift of a new smile.
A dedicated team of Operation Smile medical volunteers from across SA will converge at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha to transform the lives of 30 people with cleft lip or cleft palates with corrective surgeries.
Operation Smile SA programme manager Fiola Lujabe said cleft conditions could often be surgically corrected with a brief 45-minute procedure when performed by a proficient medical team
“The longer a child born with a cleft must await surgery, the more severe their potential health, developmental, and psychological complications become,” Lujabe said.
Statistics show a child is born with a cleft condition every three minutes globally, making it the third most prevalent congenital anomaly.
Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth, said she was happy Operation Smile SA volunteers were returning to the province.
“We are grateful for the partnership with Operation Smile SA.
“We are looking forward to having the superheroes of volunteers transform our people’s lives again.
“Such partnerships help improve the quality of life and addresses health complications,” Meth said.
The weekend marks the second surgical weekend in the Eastern Cape and will see Operation Smile’s dedicated team of volunteers consists of specialised professionals, including plastic and reconstructive surgeons, anaesthesiologists, paediatricians, nurses, dentists, speech therapists and psychosocial experts descend to do good in the province.
The free surgical procedures will be carried out tirelessly throughout the entire day on both Saturday and Sunday.
This comprehensive care package includes transportation, accommodation, nourishment, medical assessments, surgeries, and post-surgical evaluations, including speech and dental assessments for the 30 patients.
Beyond the essential surgical interventions, the surgical weekend programme provides a rare opportunity to share knowledge and expertise with local medical professionals and elevate the standard of medical competence in cleft care and surgery within the region.
During the surgical weekend, Operation Smile will also run dental and speech therapy education and training workshops.
Last year 23 children and one adult who received cleft surgery during the inaugural surgery weekend.
HeraldLIVE