Chinese doctors perform surgery upon cleft lip, palate patients

Islamabad: A team of two Chinese surgeons and Pakistani doctors successfully operated upon 40 cleft lip and palate patients during five-day free medical camp held here.

Doctors Dr. Malian and Dr. Zhou Xia of Beijing University, Department of Stomotology have especially travelled to Islamabad to join the camp during which a number of affected patients mostly children were treated at Islamabad International hospital and research center.

It was the third time; they visited Pakistan for conducting the surgeries. The camp was arranged by the Islamabad Cleft Lip and Palate Association (ICLPA). During their stay in Islamabad, the Chinese doctors also provided training to the young medical practitioners to treat such patients.

At a reception hosted in the honour of the Chinese doctors, it was announced that an especialised hospital for Cleft lip and palate patients will be set up soon in the federal capital for which a piece of land has been acquired. It was hoped that philanthropists would come forward to participate in this noble task.

The reception was addressed among others by Farhat Akhtar Rehman, Prof. Dr. Azhar Sheikh, and Dr. Zahida Ahmed who explained the complexity of the disease and treatment process, while pledging to continue mission to serve the ailing humanity.

Dr. Farhat said they feel immensely pleasure to give the affected children a new life and to have a smile on their face. She said it was her pride to continue the mission of her late husband Dr. Akhtar Rehman who had devoted whole his life to help the cleft lip and palate patients to have a normal life, getting the ability to speak, eat and hear.

The speakers eulogized the services of the Chinese doctors who spared their valuable time visiting Islamabad to provide medical and surgical support to the cleft lip and palate patients. Dr. Ma Lian said she was keen to come to Pakistan providing medical services to their Pakistani brothers and sisters. She was doing so for the last many years.

The Association’s President M Aftab said his organisation had been providing free surgical facilities to the poor families since 2004 with the support of families, friends and well-wishers.

Dr Azhar Sheikh said nearly 10,000 children with these deformities are born every year in Pakistan and alarmingly about 200,000 kids with these deformities are waiting to be operated upon.

According to Dr Zahida Ahmed of ICLAPA there are few challenges which require support, mainly dedicated volunteers who can continue and expand endeavor, increase financial support to sustain the noble cause.

Regular camps and operations are being held around the year and patients are welcome to get in touch. Meanwhile the next visit of the Chinese experts is planned in April 2020, she added.

ICLPA is a group of volunteers who devote their services to bring hope and happiness in the lives of deprived section of the people for whom it was financially difficult to get treated their children.