Hundreds of children with facial deformities, accompanied by their parents and guardians, yesterday trooped to the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City to avail of free surgeries by doctor-volunteers of the Operation Smile International, assisted by the Hope Volunteers Foundation, for those suffering cleft lip and palate deformities.

Dr. Laurence Loh, Operation Smile International Team field medical director, yesterday said an operation for cleft lip and palate deformities costs between P70,000 to P100,000. Operation Smile, a United Nations affiliated organization, is a non-profit and volunteer-based medical mission providing free reconstructive surgery to indigent children with facial deformities.

The week-long medical mission of OSI in Silay City, sponsored by HOPE Volunteers Foundation, is being participated in by at least 50 foreign and Manila-based volunteers. Yesterday they started the screening of patients.

Edith Villanueva, Operation Smile Philippines president, said they are targeting to operate on 200 children suffering from facial deformities in Negros Occidental. OSI is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Dee Zobel, OSP Foundation trustee, said they need more volunteers to treat children with cleft lip and palate deformities. She said they depend so much on volunteers for their mission to be successful.

More than 2,000 indigent children have been treated in Negros, Villanueva said, adding that there are still thousands more waiting and hoping for an opportunity to be assisted by OSI which has similar projects ongoing in Cebu and Davao cities.

Villanueva said one of every 500 children in the country suffers from cleft lip and palate deformities. "Good nutrition of mothers and fluoride in the water system may help prevent such deformities," she added.

Governor Joseph Maranon who extended P100,000 in financial assistance to the medical mission, lauded the efforts of OSI Mission in providing assistance to Negrenses, and making their lives better. "The help and support you have constantly extended proved to be beneficial," Marañon said. He also commended the HOPE Foundation for bringing the project to Negros Occidental.

The surgery on children suffering cleft lip and palate deformities at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital is expected to start today.

George Yarbrough, OSI Mission Coordinator, said the OSI World Journey of Smiles, which will cover 25 countries, in line with the 25th anniversary, will start in the Philippines in November.*GPB

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