By Micheal Teye Amartey
Ninety-eight patients with cleft lip and cleft palate have received free medical surgery at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua.
The exercise, an initiative of Operation Smile Ghana, a US-based organization is to help the patients enjoy a better life. More than ten Specialized doctors from six countries across the world performed the surgery.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects characterized by an opening in the roof of the mouth caused by a lack of tissue development in an unborn baby. They are among the most common birth defects. They are common congenital anomalies encountered in pediatric practice and treated by plastic surgeons.
Research shows that globally, one in every 700 babies are born with a cleft lip and or palate. The Programmes Manager for Operation Smile Ghana, Madam Felicia Babanawo said, since 2011 when the organization started operations in Ghana, over two thousand surgeries have been performed on children with cleft.
A Lead Pediatric Anesthesiologist and a volunteer of Operation Smile Ghana, Mr. Mohamed Belgil had this to say about the exercise.
