The Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital has called for greater collaboration to expand cleft palate surgeries.
This follows successful procedures performed by the National Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Unit in partnership with Operation Smile, transforming the lives of children whose speech has been affected by the condition.
Cleft palate, a congenital condition affecting thousands of children worldwide, significantly impacts quality of life by hindering speech, eating, and social interaction.
In Ghana, efforts are being made to provide life-changing surgical interventions for those affected. The National Plastic Reconstructive Unit of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, in partnership with Operation Smile, is leading this initiative, offering free surgical treatment to children with the condition.
“It is worrying because first, the stigmatization, so they don’t even come out to talk about their problems. Secondly, most of the children are born at home, so these defects are not picked up,” stated Emily, an anesthesiologist and a volunteer from Operation Smile
Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, Director of the National Plastic Reconstructive Unit at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, has urged Ghanaian parents with children affected by cleft palate to take advantage of this opportunity.
“Help is available in Ghana, and it is just a few calls away. We have the contact line for Operation Smile which can come directly to the call centre. For those who have a problem with getting transport, Operation Smile actually provides free transport for the child and the guardian,” he said.
He also called for increased investment in healthcare facilities nationwide to enable the decentralization of such surgical procedures.
Nicholas Hierra, Surgeon and Team Lead for Operation Smile, emphasized that this initiative has positioned Ghana as a leading country in Africa for providing free cleft palate surgeries.
“It’s one of the few teams of operations all over the world that is taking the lead in the provision of advanced speech treatment for individuals born with cleft palate,” he said.
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