Free surgery for cleft palate deformity set Feb 26 - Mar 2

Cebu is one of the four sites that will simultaneously conduct a five-day free surgery nationwide for cleft palate deformities and other facial impairments on February 26 until March 2. The other sites are in the cities of Manila, Bacolod and Davao.

The yearly mission done every February dubbed "Operation Smile" has been doing free operations in Cebu and has operated about 2,158 patients since its takeoff in 1997. This was according to Ramona Aliño, executive director of the Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung Foundation, Inc., that is spearheading the charitable undertaking in Cebu.

In the weekly "Kapihan sa PIA" yesterday, Aliño bared that in every 10,000 children in Asia, there are 500 newly-born babies with cleft palate defects compared to only 100 in Europe and the US.

Dr. Vivina Chiu, chairman of the medical advisory board of the MSY Foundation, cited genetics or heredity as one of the main factors of cleft palate deformities aside from poor nutrition, environment and iodine deficiency.

Chiu encouraged those suffering from cleft palate impairments to proceed to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center on February 23 and 24 for the screening to determine the eligibility for surgery.

A simple cleft lip operation is expected to cost around P60,000; while for indigents, the price is about P30,000.

The MSY Foundation shells out about P1.5 million for the annual expenses that cover primarily the transport and accommodation costs for medical volunteers from across the country and some from abroad.

About 33 foreign volunteers will be participating in the forthcoming mission, consisting of surgeons and nurses, who will complement the local plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists and other medical professionals from across the country.

Chiu said there are already 300 registrants to the upcoming mission, but the applicants must first pass the initial screening to find out their health conditions to qualify for the surgery.

The process for screening includes the laboratory results of the complete blood count (CBC) and the urine, weight and temperature, Chiu added.

In celebration of Operation Smile's 10th anniversary in Cebu and the 25th anniversary of Operation Smile International, the MSY Foundation will also conduct a second mission sometime in November.

Patients that will not be accommodated in this coming mission can come back in November.

Chiu said that their eldest patient, so far, was already 63-years old while the youngest was around five-months old since Operation Smile was introduced in Cebu.

In their decade of service, Chiu said they have not ever encountered any complaints on complications from the operations they conducted as after the surgery, patients have to undergo post-operative treatment as a followup on their period to recovery.

The Operation Smile-Cebu Mission is in partnership with the VSMMC which lends its facilities for the operation period as well as its resident staff of the Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department to assist in the surgery. - Gregg M. Rubio