Free operation for patients with cleft lip and palate deformities isset at EVRMC

A free surgical operationthat aims to offer relief to pediatric individuals with cleft lip and palate deformities is set at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), an official said. In an interview, Dr. Alberto de Leon, chief of EVRMC, said that at least two non-profit organizations namely the Maharlika Charity Foundation Incorporated and the SMILE Train International will sponsor the said activity on October 22-26.

“So this coming October this two non-profit organizations: Maharlika Charity Foundation Incorporated and Smile Train International, will once again be visiting here to again provide free surgical services for pediatric patients with cleft lip and palate deformities, they’ve been visiting Eastern Visayas for the same purpose and again they’ll be doing the same this year. Both organizations coordinated EVRMC and we will be providing them the venue which includes the operating rooms,” said de Leon. He added that the screening, work-up and clearance of patients will be on October 23, while the scheduled surgical procedures of the screened patients will take part on October 24-25.

The official is calling the attention of all parents who have children with cleft lip or palate deformities to be part of this once in a year opportunity to fix abnormalities through free surgical treatment. Smile Train International is an organization that is based in New York, USA and was created on 1999 to empower local medical team to offer free and safe surgical procedure for the poor with cleft lip and palate deformities.

Maharlika Charity Foundation, on the other hand, is a non-profit organization that is based in Davao. The organization was instituted on 1973 to also provide free surgical services for the poor and needy.