Cleft lip and palate deformities account for a relatively high proportion of congenital disabilities, particularly in Asia. Photo humed.hueuni.edu.vn

THỪA THIÊN HUẾ - In Huế, hundreds of children with birth defects like cleft lip, palate deformities, and other congenital disabilities have received free screenings and surgeries, giving them the chance to regain their confident smiles.

On the morning of March 13, Doctor Nguyễn Hồng Lợi, director of the Maxillofacial Centre at Huế Central Hospital, announced that the centre has been collaborating with the Interplast Volunteer Surgical Team (Interplast Organisation, Federal Republic of Germany) to conduct free screenings and surgeries for children with cleft lip and palate deformities nationwide from March 10 to March 20 at the hospital.

13 experts, professors, and doctors from Germany, Italy, Austria, and Spain are participating in the volunteer mission, screening hundreds of cases and performing free surgeries for over 100 children with cleft lip, palate deformities, and other congenital disabilities. 

This humanitarian effort aims to restore complete smiles for these children, helping them gain confidence and integrate better into society.

Trần Thị Loan from HCM City brought her three-year-old son to Huế Central Hospital for cleft palate surgery. 

She expressed gratitude for the dedication and support of the hospital’s medical staff and trusted the expertise of the specialists to help her son achieve a perfect smile and better health. 

She affirmed that if the Interplast surgical team returns, she will continue registering for their services in pursuit of her child’s complete recovery.

Doctor Peter Schachner, an Interplast volunteer surgical team member, stated that their mission in Huế is driven by the desire to help Vietnamese children and residents access high-quality medical care for cleft lip treatment.   

Thanks to thorough preparation by the doctors at Huế Central Hospital, the two teams have been able to coordinate seamlessly, ensuring the best outcomes for surgical cases.

Cleft lip and palate deformities account for a relatively high proportion of congenital disabilities, particularly in Asia. 

In Việt Nam, the incidence rate is quite significant, with one in every 700 to 800 children affected.  

These deformities not only severely impact health but also hinder children’s confidence in communication and daily activities. 

The Maxillofacial Centre at Huế Central Hospital receives hundreds of patients with cleft lip and palate deformities annually.

According to Lợi, since Interplast’s first collaboration with Huế Central Hospital in 2016, nearly 1,200 surgeries have been performed. 

Through these partnerships, the team has transferred the latest and most advanced surgical techniques for cleft lip and palate correction and anesthetic recovery to the hospital’s medical staff.

“Every year, the team supports our doctors in attending numerous training conferences and workshops at major hospitals in Europe and Southeast Asia. Our greatest ambition moving forward is to collaborate with Interplast to enhance knowledge and equip modern tools for speech therapy and facial reconstruction for children with deformities. We also aim to establish a comprehensive treatment centre for cleft lip and palate at our hospital,” Lợi added.

The strong and sustainable partnership between Huế Central Hospital and the Interplast Organisation has enabled more and more underprivileged children across the country to regain their confident smiles and enjoy better health. - VNS