The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THE ongoing Operation of Hope Mission at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo where children with cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial deformations have been assisted with surgical operations has been extended to Tuesday following an overwhelming response by the community.
Mpilo Central Hospital
It was initially meant to end on 17 May.
A cleft is a gap or split in the upper lip and/or roof of the mouth (palate).
The gap is there because parts of the baby’s face did not join together properly during development in the womb. Babies can be born with a cleft lip, cleft palate or both.
The condition is caused by any one of the following factors during pregnancy — lack of enough tissue during foetal development, genetics, consumed unsafe substances and medications.
The condition causes difficulty in the child’s feeding, hearing, speaking or dental problems.
The organisers said the overwhelming response was as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which saw the team failing to conduct surgeries due to travel restrictions.
Jennifer Trubenbach, CEO and President of Operation of Hope Worldwide said they had also managed to restore smiles on 100 children.
“We have extended our surgical mission to the 31st of May.
While our mission was supposed to end on the 17th of this month, we noted that many patients are in desperate need of this operation and we cannot just leave them like that.
The high figures are understandable considering that we have not been around for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Covid-19
We have so far restored the smiles of at least 100 children after successful surgical operations since we started on the 7th of this month. We are targeting a total of 250 operations for this May,” she said.
Schweppes Holdings Africa Limited has partnered with Operation of Hope for over eight years and said health care has always been one of their ethos through their corporate social investment.
Previously, the operations were also done in Harare, at Harare Hospital, but this year, they are only at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo.
Ropafadzo Gwanetsa, Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited corporate affairs executive said they anticipate that the event will be bigger in the coming year.
Ropafadzo Gwanetsa
“They say no man is an island and the same goes with corporates.
If you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.
We partnered with Delta Corporation and Tsepo Servco and the success we are witnessing through Operation of Hope is because of these collaborations.
We anticipate that next year will be bigger, and more surgeries will be done,” she said.
The corporates have been assisting the patients and their guardians with food staff and beverages as they undergo the surgeries
. – @NyembeziMu.
