TO aid in the nationwide screening of cleft patients, Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) recently trained 15 health workers and nurses on the use of OpSmile app—a patient-screening mobile application developed by the telco and Ateneo Java Wireless Competency Center (AJWCC) in 2011 for Operation Smile.

Operation Smile is a worldwide charity organization that provides free surgeries to repair cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities among children.

With the app, Operation Smile volunteers can take photos of patients using a mobile phone camera, key in patient information, and send the data to a central web-based database via Internet that Operation Smile doctors can access real time.

Patient screening is on going in preparation for Operation Smile’s mega mission dubbed as “The Gift of Smiles,” which will be from June 7 to 14 in the following sites: Angeles City, Pampanga; Dasmarinas, Cavite; Borongan, Eastern Samar; Cebu City; Bacolod City; and Davao City.

With the help of the app, Operation Smile doctors can identify early on patients who will undergo surgery enabling both the doctors and patients to prepare for the operation.