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Friday, February 21, 2003
Operation Smile in Davao mission
FOR 20 years, this humanitarian organization has dedicated itself to provide free reconstructive surgery to poor children and young adults around the world who are living with correctable facial deformities.
Starting today until March 1, Operation Smile International (OSI) will conduct its 8th medical mission in Davao City which will be conducted at the newly built state-of-the-art outpatient and preventive care building of the Davao Medical Center.
Screening will start today until Feb. 23 and surgery will be from Feb.
24-28. In partnership with the Social Concerns of UCCP Foundation, Inc., the social concerns arm of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Mindanao, the mission aims to provide free reconstructive surgery to about 200 patients.
The mission hopes to change their lives altogether, turning it around 180 degrees, giving them hope, the ability to learn and be useful to society.
The operation to repair a cleft lip would otherwise cost a patient approximately P30,000, an amount not affordable to them.
Some patients who have more complicated needs will be sent to either
Australia or USA for the major operation.
Last January 18, a 10-year-old boy from Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte was
operated for a major craniofacial surgery for seven hours in a private
hospital in Brisbane, Australia. He was sent by the Foundation through
the Operation Smile World Care Program.
Operation Smile International, based in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, was
founded in 1982 by Dr. William P. Magee Jr., a plastic surgeon, and his wife Kathleen Magee, a nurse and a clinical social worker.
What started as a small mission to Naga City, Philippines in 1982,
Operation Smile currently supports 30 missions in 20 countries. It has
been coming to the Philippines every year without fail with increasing
efficiency and coverage. It is today the one single organization that
is making an impact on the large number of Filipinos with facial
deformities.
In the last 20 years, of about 60,000 children treated around the
world, about 12,000 of them are in the Philippines, making this country the largest beneficiary.
The overseas volunteers of plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists,
dentists, speech therapists, nurses and others bring with them all the equipment, medicines and supplies that they need.
They are then joined by their Filipino counterparts led by the members
of the Philippine Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic
Surgeons (Papras). The Social Concerns UCCP Foundation, the local host
of OSI also works with the Davao Medical Center in cooperation with the
Davao City government, the municipal/city/provincial governments of Mindanao, NGO's, civic organizations, LGUs, LGAs and generous individuals and corporations.
Those who are willing to support the project in some ways and those who
would like to inquire about the mission may contact Fe del Rosario of
the SCFI, 415 Bonifacio St., Davao City, Tel. no. 221-8613 or text
0916-525-2412.
(February 21, 2003 issue)
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