Children receive free correction of facial deformity, gifts

A child is checked up for cleft palate operation (Illustrative photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The (NFVC), on June 10,
presented gifts to children, who are treated for maxillofacial defects at the
in Hanoi.

A
total of 150 gifts worth 500,000 VND (21.4 USD) each, sponsored by the
, were presented to young patients with cleft palate and
jaw cyst.

The
activity responded to the ongoing ,
themed “joining hands for poor and ethnic children”.

Operation
Smile Vietnam is part of a global alliance of Operation Smile Foundations and
Resource Chapters dedicated to providing free treatment to children and adults
suffering from cleft palate.

Operation
Smile’s first medical mission to Vietnam took place in 1989. Two years later, a
volunteer network of Vietnamese medical professionals established Operation
Smile Vietnam.

The
NFVC launched its Operation Smile programme in 1994 to provide free cleft
palate surgeries for children. Since 1997, the programme has also aided
adolescents and adults.

In
2018, the fund provided check-ups for over 3,100 patients and operations, with
more than 2,000 having operations at a cost of over 15 billion VND.

To date, close to 30,000 children with cleft palate have received free
surgeries at a total cost of nearly 70 billion VND (2.9 million USD).

The
NFVC has also mobilised resources to provide post-surgery assistance for the
young patients, thus helping them practice pronunciation and integrate into the
community.-VNA