From 24-26 October, our team of volunteer medical professionals performed 32 successful cleft surgeries at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha.
This is the fourth year Operation Smile has returned to this hospital, which serves over 4 million people, living in this largely rural part of the Eastern Cape.
42 patients arrived for screening on Day One – and 32 were approved for surgery over the next two days. 18 had cleft lip surgery, while 14 received surgery for cleft palates.
On both surgery days, the first patients were on the operating tables just after 8 am. Surgeries continued throughout the day, with the last patients leaving the operation tables after 8pm.
Eastern Cape MEC for Health expresses appreciation
Ntandokazi Capa, the Eastern Cape MEC for Health, visited to express her appreciation for the volunteers and Operation Smile.
“It is our hope that these efforts will serve as a blueprint for future oral health outreach programmes across South Africa,” she said. “Safe surgery and good oral health care are essential for overall health and wellbeing.
No child should miss school
“Our ultimate goal for the province is to ensure that children with clefts have early access to surgery and comprehensive cleft care. No child should miss school, and no adult should miss work, due to oral health issues. We are focused on both prevention and treatment, with a strong emphasis on oral health education.”
We also welcomed guests from DHL and Wild Child Africa (Pondo).
Since being established in South Africa in 2006, Operation Smile has performed over 500 surgeries across the country – at no cost to patients – with the help of a 160-strong team of specialist volunteers. These include surgeons, nurses, anaesthetists, paediatricians, dentists, speech therapists, psychologists, biomedical staff and others.
Meaningful impact on the lives of children and adults with cleft conditions
“We are committed, alongside the Eastern Cape Department of Health, to making a meaningful impact on the lives of children and adults with unrepaired cleft conditions in the Eastern Cape,” said Sarah Scarth, Executive Director of Operation Smile South Africa.
“Without early access to surgery, a cleft condition can have a serious impact on a child’s life, both physically and mentally – preventing them from reaching their full potential. These surgeries are truly transformative.”