The Sunday Mail
Thandiwe Garusa
Over 30 children and two adults have successfully undergone free cleft lip and palate surgery in Chitungwiza as more people continue to benefit from the corrective procedure mostly extended by foreign medical personnel.
The latest surgeries were conducted last week at CitiMed, Chitungwiza in a Government partnership exercise with Smile Train from the United States.
Several children are born with cleft lip and palate complications and it costs an average $1 400 to undergo corrective surgery locally.
CitiMed spokesperson Mr Munyaradzi Mhlanga said the surgeries came on the back of other successful similar programmes at the medical institution.
“We have done about 30 cleft lip and palate surgeries for free. It costs between $1 200 and $1 600 for one to have the procedure done in Zimbabwe.
“We want to thank the Government and Smile Train for having successfully conducted the programme.”
Mr Mhlanga said the exercise was open for all deserving patients with beneficiaries drawn from areas including Masvingo, Gokwe, Mount Darwin and Chimanimani.
Mrs Erina Mabheka from Chingwizi, Masvingo whose four-year-old child benefited from the free surgery was elated that her child “could now enjoy a normal life”.
Free cleft lip and palate surgeries are commonly conducted at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Harare Central Hospital, Mpilo and Chitungwiza Hospital.
