First 'Cleft Lip and Palate' reconstruction surgery centre in Pakistan

[Naveed Yaseen]

Pakistan Cleft Lip and Palate Association (PCLAPA) with its volunteer efforts has planned to establish first ever Cleft Lip and Palate Reconstruction Surgery Centre in Pakistan to bring back the lost smiles of the children with face disorders.

The project was announced during a meeting of officials of the association held here today.

The hospital will be constructed in Gujrat. Approximately 110,814 square feet (22 and half canal) land has been donated by Secretary General PCLAPA Dr Ijaz Bashir to establish four-storey hospital. An amount of Rs120.53 million is required to establish the state of the art 100-bed hospital, the officials disclosed.

The children with lip or palate disorders are very unfortunate, as they have to face physical disorder as well as mental stress when people are insensitive towards them and make fun. Due to lack of awareness about its cure, they spent their whole life with this disability.

Secretary General of PCLAPA, Dr Ijaz Bashir said, one out of every 530 children born in Pakistan suffer from cleft lip, cleft palate or both. “Thousands of children suffering from this disability are now awaiting this surgery. Ten thousand more such children are added to the list each year.”

Elaborating the reasons of separate lip and palate, he said that separate areas of the face develop individually during the period of pregnancy and then join together. If some parts do not join properly the result is a cleft.

Cut or cleft lip occurs when the roof of the mouth is not joined completely. The patients with cleft lip or palate have devastating life as the appearance of the face is distorted and the child is isolated from the society. Cleft lip does not affect the newborns’ feeding but it produces an opening in the mouth that can become a permanent entry to germs resulting in mouth infection, Dr. Ijaz informed.

The ideal age for cleft lip surgery is between the ages of three to six months and the palate is usually repaired when a baby is a year old. The operation is carried out before the child starts speaking, he said.

The surgery cures and helps patients with a cut lip or palate.

The patient feels difficulty in speaking, living a normal life or taking food or drink, besides suffering psychologically.

Vice President PCLAPA, M. Aftab while addressing the participants said there is need to raise awareness about the cure of such disorders. He also urged the participants to make volunteer efforts in fund raising for this noble cause.

The PCLAPA invites all organisations, especially students, from all cities, to assist in its charitable work.

Dr Akhtar Rehman, President, Islamabad Chapter of PCLAPA informed that the organisation supports cleft lip and palate patients. It was founded in 1996 and got registered with Social Welfare Department of the government in 2002.

Patients, before the surgery, are registered with Dr Ijaz Bashir at Bashir Hospital, Railway Road, Gujrat, telephone numbers: (53)-3521102 or (53)-3524139. Email is pclapa@gmail.com, Website: http://www.pclapa.com.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=192385