MSY foundation to bring back Operation Smile Cebu in November

CEBU, Philippines - At least 200 children with facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate will soon experience a life changing surgery as the Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung Charitable Foundation Inc. will be hosting the Operation Smile International Medical Mission in Cebu in November.

The international mission will be held at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center on November 20 to 23, 2012. In line with this, the foundation is inviting volunteer nurses to join the mission.

Mission coordinator Monet Aliño said that application forms are available at the MSY Holdings Corporation, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City.

Interested volunteers should bring two I.D. pictures and photocopy of their license. Operation Smile Cebu expects to operate more than 200 children with cleft lip and cleft palate on the said event which will also mark the 15th year of the mission. Operation Smile Cebu started in 1998.

OSC is a major project of MSYCFI and have already helped over 3,000 children with facial deformities for free. Surgery would normally cost around P60,000 to P100,000.

Last year, 250 children with facial deformities underwent surgery for free.

International doctors composed of plastic surgeons and anesthesiologists will complement the local plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists and other medical professionals from across the country.

Salimbangon-Yeung said that her foundation adopted Operation Smile International Medical Mission as a major project to help the poor children whose parents cannot afford to pay for their surgery.

The foundation is expected to shell out between P1.5M to P2M for the annual expenses that cover primarily the transportation and accommodation costs for the medical volunteers from across the country and from abroad.     - THE FREEMAN