>> Smile Train

The Smile Train is an International charity dedicated to helping poor children with cleft lip palate. In more than 30 countires around the world. the smile Train has supported hundreds of cleft treatment, training and research programs.

Smile Train Treatment Partnerships are designed to help medical professionals, hospitals and organizations who provide care for poor children with clefts in developing countries. These partnerships involve long-term commitment and offer the highest level of smile Train support. The goal is to help provide free surgeries performed at a qualified hospital/center.

For more information on the Smile train please visit www.smiletrain.org

SMILE TRAIN

On May 18, 2007 the Africa regional director for the SmileTrain, Ms Anjuna Kalsi, paid a visit to the hospital. The hospital is a beneficiary of a treatment grant for cleft patients from the charity organization which is the world’s largest solely dedicated to cleft deformities. She expressed satisfaction with the level of commitment shown in administration of the funds, urging the hospital not to stop the free treatment and pledged the release of up to five times the previous amount for a hundred more surgeries to be done within a 12 month period. The free treatment is therefore still ongoing and affected patients are encouraged to come for the free surgeries.

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All children who suffer from this condition face gross social embarrassment and some experience speech and feeding problems. The condition is correctible by surgery. Adults are also included by the SmileTrain. The use of the grant also covers those who had previous surgery but need to have it repeated or revised.

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Every plastic surgical unit participated in the free cleft surgeries from October 2006 when the account was opened. 36 patients were treated within 26 weeks. To ensure compliance with safety protocol the hospital took delivery of three new pulse oximeters for the anaesthesia department during the period. The patients have come from Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Ondo, Kogi as well as all Eastern states and the FCT.

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Some of the beneficiaries expressed their gratitude for the grant, among them was a 38 year old who out of embarrassment had never taken a personal photograph and had also been refused marriage until the repair was done.

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