OSM gears up for surgery services this month

A picture taken from Operation Smile Facebook page showing a child before and being treated
Operation Smile Malawi (OSM) officials are upbeat about handling over sixty cleft lip patients this month which will include children.
The sentiments were made ahead of a scheduled outreach program due to commence on May 16th – 25th at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, targeting patients from across the country.
National Patient Coordinator for the organisation Joey Mtumuka further looks forward to offering screening services to at least 100 patients who are suffering from the birth defect.
“We hope that by the end of the campaign our target will be met because there is a huge number of patients who are in dire need of operation throughout the country,” Mtumuka said.
Over 2,000 cleft patients countrywide have benefitted from the OSM’s project since 2012, with statistics indicating that there is a significant drop in cleft lip elder patients than children.
Mtumuka said: “We are still working on reaching out to more children across the country.”
A health care centre, Beit Cure’s online publication states that cleft lip is a congenital condition characterized by an opening or split on the upper lip.
There are two kinds of cleft lip: unilateral, when an opening or split occurs on only one side of the mouth and bilateral, when the opening or separation occurs on both sides.
According to the health specialist website, affording children cleft lip operation offers a number of benefits which include a new smile that brings confidence and hope, children can eat more effectively, leading to better physical and emotional health.
It also improves speech, restoring confidence as children participate in community life.
Operation Smile, the parent organisation for the local branch, currently provides world-class cleft care in 36 countries supported by more than 6,000 volunteers from 60 countries.
