Parents of children with cleft lips and palate conditions are advised not to keep their children at home but to seek medical attention for them.
Dr. Charles Kwame Asiedu, a reconstructive plastic surgeon, and Smile Train partner, emphasized the availability of free corrective surgeries for such children at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital).
He highlighted this during an interview with the Daily Graphic, coinciding with the visit of Smile Train's President and CEO, Susannah Schaefer.
Smile Train, an international organization in collaboration with partners like the Graft Foundation, focuses on empowering local medical professionals to provide free cleft lip and palate surgery and comprehensive care for children worldwide.
Dr. Asiedu noted that stigma, especially in rural areas, leads some parents to hide their children with these conditions at home, depriving them of treatment and impacting their future quality of life.
Smile Train has been providing free treatment for children with cleft lips and palates at the Ridge Hospital for the past five years, according to Graphic Online.
Dr. Asiedu emphasized that no child should suffer from such conditions due to financial constraints, as Smile Train offers free nutritional care, therapy, and even food to prepare them for safe surgery.
The care includes speech and language pathology, dental treatment, and psychosocial support, among other services.
Since 2011, about 2,500 children have reportedly benefited from free cleft lip and palate surgeries in Ghana through Smile Train's operations. Currently, Smile Train is near completion of a multipurpose facility for comprehensive cleft care in Kumasi.
During her visit to Ghana as part of Smile Train's 25th-anniversary celebration, Ms. Schaefer expressed pride in the work of their partners and highlighted that Smile Train has assisted over 1.9 million children globally with untreated cleft lip and palate conditions.
The Managing Director of Graft Foundation, Dr. Brainerd Anani, commended Smile Train for its support, which has greatly impacted many lives over the past decade.
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Smile Train has been providing free treatment for children with cleft lips and palates