Free Surgery Begins for 120 Children With Cleft Lip and Palate in Kabul
The free surgery programme for 120 children with cleft lip and cleft palate has begun in Kabul, an initiative that will give needy families access to specialised medical treatment.
Sheikh Shahabuddin Delawar, head of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, said children from different parts of the country had come to the organisation’s centre in Kabul for treatment. He added that Bangladesh had previously cooperated with the Afghan people in various areas and had also provided ongoing support in treating children with cleft lip and cleft palate.
Mohammad Hamza, a representative of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society’s Islamic Centre, said the medical team’s goal was to provide complete and proper treatment for children with this condition. According to him, this is the fourth time the team has come to Kabul to carry out such operations, and it has so far treated 285 children.
He added that in this round, 120 children will undergo free surgery. According to him, similar services are expected to be provided in remote provinces in the near future.
Dr Abdullah Irfan, head of public health at the Afghan Red Crescent Society, also said the organisation is trying to deliver health services to groups with less access to treatment. Families of some of these children also said that providing free surgery, especially for those who cannot afford the high cost of treatment, is an important opportunity and should continue.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are conditions that can affect children’s nutrition, speech and social interactions. Such specialised services are usually offered in a limited number of treatment centres, and families living in remote provinces are more likely to face difficulties in accessing them.
