The Chinese doctors voluntarily joined their Pakistani colleagues to serve Cleft lip and palate patients, during a four-day medical camp held here from May 3 to 6 and operated upon 54 patients successfully. Chinese doctors Ma Lian and Zhou Zia from Beijing Cleft Hospital especially travelled to Islamabad to join the camp during which the deserving patients were successfully operated upon. The camp was arranged by the Islamabad Cleft Lip and Palate Association (ICLPA).
At a reception held in honour of the Chinese doctors here on Sunday, it was announced that the two sides will cooperate with each other to set up Cleft Lip and Palate Center to provide the treatment to the deserving patients on regular basis, free of cost. A team of doctors, who provided volunteer services at a local hospital during the medical camp, pledged to continue to serve the patients, so that they could return to a normal life.
The reception was addressed among others by the Association's President M. Aftab, Mrs. Farhat Akhtar Rehman, Professor Dr Muhammad Azhar, Dr Akbar Niazi and Dr Zahida who explained the complexity of the disease and treatment process. They eulogized the services of the Chinese doctors who did marvelous job, operating upon more than 50 patients in a record time of four days.
Dr Ma Lian said that she was keen to come to Pakistan providing medical services to their Pakistani brothers and sisters. She spoke of high of Sino-Pak friendship and said they are highly impressed by the warm-hearted reception given to them. Their services will always be available to the Pakistani side for the humanitarian cause. The Association's President M. Aftab said his organization had been providing free medical facilities to the poor families since 2004 with the support of families, friends and well wishers.
Professor Farhat said ICLAPA was a group of volunteers which relied on donors to bring hope and happiness in the lives of people, for whom it was financially difficult to give treatment to their children. She said they needed a piece of land, a team of young volunteers and necessary funding to continue their noble mission that was initiated by her late husband Dr Akhtar Rehman.
Delay in treatment of the suffering children could lead to speech, behavioral and psychological problems making them vulnerable in society. 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.
Cleft lip occurs more frequently than cleft palate. Boys are more commonly affected by only cleft lip or cleft lip with cleft palate whereas girls suffer more from cleft palate. The causes of cleft lip and palate are still unknown; however it is believed that it is due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors or as a result of exposure to viruses and chemicals during the development of the fetus. Problems in eating or feeding, ear infections, hearing loss, speech impairment, dental issues and social isolation are issues associated with the deformities among children.
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