Japanese doctors offer free surgery to children with cleft lips, palates

A delegation of more than 40 professors and doctors from the Japanese Cleft Lip and Palate Association is offering free surgeries to 60 children with cleft lip and palate deformities in the northern province of Ben Tre.

Japanese doctors offer free surgeries to 60 children with cleft lip and palate deformities in the northern province of Ben Tre from December 22-26. (Credit: VNA)

The programme runs from December 22 to 26 at the Nguyen Dinh Chieu hospital in the province.

On the first day, 10 children with cleft lip and palate deformities, including a child with a tongue hematoma, were successfully operated on.

This is the 20th time the Japanese Cleft Lip and Palate Association has provided free medical checks-up and surgical operations to children and adults with cleft lip and palate deformities, in Ben Tre province, to help them integrate into the society. Around 50–60 people have benefited from the programme each year.

The Japanese Cleft Lip and Palate Association is a non-governmental organisation. The cost of the association’s operations is funded by the government (one-third), its members (one-third) and donations from Japanese people and students (one-third).

In addition to Ben Tre, the Association has also carried out free surgeries for people with cleft lips and palates in other provinces including Quang Nam, Ninh Binh and Ho Chi Minh City. Japanese doctors are also going to expand the programme to Hai Phong city.

(Source: VNA/Translated by Nhan Dan Online)