By Emmanuel D. Taghoy
IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay – The cleft lip and palate operations sponsored by the Maharlika Charity Foundation, Inc. started Monday catering to over 100 patients from the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Marawi City, and Basilan.
There were 60 patients screened, but only 42 were cleared for operation. Others got disqualified as they are suffering from cough and other illnesses.
Dr. Benedict Edward P. Valdez, vice president for public relations and director for mission of the Maharlika Charity Foundation, Inc. said those patients who did not pass the weight requirement could not be operated on as well.
“The weight of a person is an indication of one’s health, either he is malnourished or not, especially for infants,” he added.
Dubbed “Smile Train, changing the world one smile at a time,” the activity has been attended by four surgeons and three anesthesiologists from Davao City, with one coming from Zamboanga City.
They are holding the said operations at the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Hospital in this municipality.
As of this writing, 10 patients were already operated on and 38 more would follow out of the 92 patients who passed the screening.
Dr. Valdez explained that the cause of cleft lip and cleft palate can either be that the mother during pregnancy is less in folic acid or that the syndrome may have been genetic or hereditary.
The activity has also been made possible in collaboration with the 102nd Infantry “Igsoon” Brigade and the provincial government of Zamboanga Sibugay.