HCMC – Operation Smile Vietnam, the Daklak Province Fund for Children and the Daklak Province Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs are collaborating to offer free surgeries to children with cleft lips and palates in seven provinces in the central and Central Highlands regions.
The program, which began at the Central Highlands General Hospital in Daklak Province on December 18, will run until December 22.
The year 2020 is the sixth consecutive year the program has been organized. This year, with the participation of 50 voluntary doctors from across the country, the program is expected to provide screenings for 120-150 patients from Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Daklak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen provinces and offer free surgeries and treatment to 80-100 of them.
The patients will also receive financial aid for their travel, food and accommodation expenses.
Vice chairwoman of Daklak Province H’Yim Kdon said since 2014, the program has provided surgeries at a total cost of over VND5.5 billion to nearly 1,000 children with cleft lips and palates in the province.
On the sidelines of the program, the Daklak Province Fund for Children and Operation Smile Vietnam will also provide dental check-ups and treatment to 2,000-3,000 primary students in Buon Don District from December 21 to 25.
As a medical volunteer-based nonprofit, Operation Smile’s global volunteer network includes more than 185 medical professionals from Vietnam as well as hundreds of non-medical volunteers. Since 1989, Operation Smile has provided free reconstructive surgeries to more than 21,300 patients and dental care to more than 10,900 patients with cleft lips and palates in Vietnam.
