Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo will be offering free surgery for children with cleft lips and palates.
This will be done on 6 May at the Outpatients department starting at 7.30 am.
A cleft is a gap or split in the upper lip and/or roof of the mouth (palate). The gap is there because parts of the baby’s face didn’t join together properly during development in the womb.
Babies can be born with a cleft lip, cleft palate, or both.
The condition is caused by any one of the following factors during pregnancy- lack of enough tissue during foetal development, genetics, consumed unsafe substances, and medications.
The condition causes difficulty in the child’s feeding, hearing, speaking or dental problems.
In an interview, Mpilo Hospital Public Relations Officer, Sister Norma Mabhena urged parents with children with these conditions to bring them to the hospital.
“If there are parents with children born with cleft lip and palate, we are appealing to them to bring their children so that they can get assistance from these doctors. Parents should not carry anything, they don’t pay any money, the doctors will operate on these children for free so that they can get assisted,” said Sister Mabhena.
She said the next screening date will be on 14 May 2023 at the same time.
She also invited older people who did not get the opportunity to undergo the operation when they were younger to come.
“Please note that this time they don’t want burns but they want cleft lip and palate only. People from other areas are also welcome, if they don’t have a place to sleep, the hospital will provide, we want everyone to get assistance.”
Sister Mabhena said there is no limit as the doctors want to assist as many people as they can.
