Operation “Smile” in Pangasinan launched
LINGAYEN– Here’s good news for parents who have children born with cleft lip or cleft palate.
A center for “Operation Smile, Bridging the Gap,” has been established s in the province to provide free checkups and surgery for children in collaboration with the Pangasinan Provincial Police Office (PPPO) last week.
So far, 28 children from 16 towns have already been scheduled for their respective cleft lip/palate operation at the Urdaneta District Hospital (UDH) in Urdaneta City. They were identified and validated by the police stations in their respective towns.
The recipients are from the towns of Aguilar, Anda, Basista, Binalonan, Binmaley, Bolinao, Bugallon, Burgos, Dagupan City, Laoac, Lingayen, Manaoag, Mapandan, Sison, Sta. Maria, and Villasis.
Dr. Frederick Enrile, regional coordinator of Smile Train, said since the main problem they encounter is the reluctance of patients to come to them, so they deemed it practical to partner with the PPPO which has a provincewide network that operates in the communities regularly, to assist and accompany the patients to the center throughout, from their checkups to operations and recuperation.
Last year, Manaoag chief of police, P/Chief Insp. Edison Revita, helped 18 patients complete all the stages of cleft lip/palate consultation and procedure.
“The significance of this project is bringing the community together,” remarked PPPO officer-in-charge P/Senior Superintendent Reynaldo Biay.
Smile Train, a non-profit organization started in USA in 1990, that provides free surgery to patients with cleft lip and cleft palate, has several centers in the country operated by the Smile Train Philippines.
The center in Pangasinan is at the UDH enabled by a memorandum of agreement with the provincial government and the Urdaneta City.
“There are a number of organizations in the country that provide free cleft lip/palate operation, but what sets us apart is kami tuloy-tuloy. Kung may problema, nasa Urdaneta lang kami,” explained Enrile.
Enrile said that they have two plastic surgeons at UDH that can perform maximum of 20 operations in a day. He urged more to be referred to them.
Screening and check-up of patients are done on Mondays and Tuesdays while surgery is every Wednesday.
Since it started in July 2013 in Pangasinan, it has already performed at least 50 successful cleft lip/palate operation.. (Johanne R. Macob/ PNA)
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