Operation Smile returned to the Eastern Cape this past weekend to provide surgeries and medical support to 25 children and adults, further honouring a commitment made to the province in 2022.
Mthatha, South Africa (23 October 2023) – Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Operation Smile South Africa and the Eastern Cape Department of Health last year, medical volunteers returned to the province between 19 and 23 October to give children and adults born with cleft lip or palates the gift of a new smile.
A dedicated team of Operation Smile medical volunteers from across South Africa converged at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha, to transform the lives of 22 people with cleft lip or cleft palates. In addition, 3 adults with cleft palates received dental obturators.
The life-changing screening and surgeries for cleft lip or cleft palate took place over a 3-day period (20-23 October 2023).
This development is welcomed, given that statistics show a child is born with a cleft condition every three minutes globally, making it the third most prevalent congenital anomaly. Ideally, corrective surgery should be administered within the first 18 months of a child’s life. Without surgery, children with cleft lip or cleft palates face serious health, and developmental challenges, and will likely suffer emotional abuse, and social isolation.
Operation Smile SA’s Programme Manager, Fiola Lujabe, emphasises the importance of timely intervention. “The longer a child born with a cleft must await surgery, the more severe their potential health, developmental, and psychological complications become. The encouraging news is that cleft conditions can often be surgically corrected in a remarkably brief 45-minute procedure when performed by a proficient medical team”.
Founded in 1982 Operation Smile is a global nonprofit specialising in expert cleft surgery and care. They provide medical expertise, research, and care through dedicated staff as well as medical and student volunteers around the world, working alongside local governments, nonprofits, and health systems, and supported by generous donors. Operation Smile South Africa was established in 2006 and for the past 17 years has been a driving force in the delivery of safe cleft surgery and care for hundreds of patients in South Africa and in neighbouring countries. They have over 120 active volunteers who serve on local and international surgical programmes.
MEC for Health, Nomakhosazana Meth, said she was happy Operation Smile SA volunteers had returned to the province.
“We are grateful for the partnership with Operation Smile SA. We are delighted to have the superheroes of volunteers transform our people’s lives again.
“Such partnerships help improve the quality of life and addresses health complications. We welcome the Operation Smile medical volunteers returning to the Eastern Cape to operate on so many people,” an excited Meth said.
This marks the second surgical weekend in the Eastern Cape since the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, 2-year-old Ntlelo, born with a cleft lip and palate, was among the 23 children and one adult who received cleft surgery. At the time of Ntlelo’s birth, her mother, Mhlamunye, was shocked and heartbroken as she did not know anything about the anomaly.
“I had never seen or heard of such a thing before. I didn’t know what to do or who to talk to. People in my community laughed at me, and it hurt.”
Mhlamunye brought Ntlelo back to Mthatha again this year for surgery to repair her cleft palate, which is critical to support her speech development.
Operation Smile’s dedicated team of volunteers consists of highly specialised professionals, including plastic and reconstructive surgeons, anaesthesiologists, paediatricians, nurses, dentists, speech therapists, and psychosocial experts.
The Operation Smile team collaborated with the medical staff at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital. Their joint efforts commenced on Friday, the 20th of October, with a comprehensive patient screening.
The surgical procedures were carried out tirelessly throughout the entire day on both Saturday, the 21st, and Sunday, the 22nd of October 2023. Each young patient, accompanied by their parent or guardian, received the highest standard of compassionate care, free of charge.
This comprehensive care package includes transportation, accommodation, nourishment, medical assessments, surgeries, and post-surgical evaluations, including speech and dental assessments.
Beyond the essential surgical interventions, the surgical weekend programme provides a unique opportunity to share knowledge and expertise with local medical professionals and surgical registrars, thus elevating the standard of medical competence in cleft care and surgery within the region. During the surgical weekend, Operation Smile ran dental and speech therapy education and training workshops.
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