5-day free cleft surgery mission begins in Dhaka

A five-day international medical mission has begun in Dhaka to provide free reconstructive surgeries to around 100 children with cleft lip and cleft palate from economically disadvantaged families.

Md Ismail Zabihullah, adviser to the public administration ministry, inaugurated the mission at Sarkari Karmachari Hospital on Saturday morning as the chief guest.

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Organised by SAJIDA Foundation in partnership with Sarkari Karmachari Hospital, Smile Asia and Dhaka Bank PLC, the initiative has brought together an international team of volunteer healthcare professionals and Bangladeshi physicians to provide specialised, quality and free reconstructive surgeries for children coming from across Bangladesh.

Senior government officials, healthcare leaders, development partners, corporate representatives and members of the international medical community joined the event.

The mission will run from July 18 to 22, with 38 medical professionals from eight countries working alongside Bangladeshi healthcare providers to perform cleft lip and palate surgeries.

The multidisciplinary team includes plastic surgeons, anaesthesiologists, nurses, therapists and other specialists volunteering their expertise to help children eat, speak and live healthier, more confident lives.

Cleft lip and palate remain among the most common congenital craniofacial anomalies worldwide, affecting approximately one in every 500 to 600 live births.

In Bangladesh alone, more than 5,000 children are born with these conditions every year.