BY VANESSA GONYE
At least 140 patients will undergo free cleft lip and palate repair surgeries on a weekly basis at Citimed Hospital, in an exercise which is to be preceded by a screening process to begin tomorrow in Chitungwiza.
Citimed spokesperson Munyaradzi Mhlanga said the duration of the exercise would be determined by the number of patients screened for surgeries.
“Our target is 50 patients per week but if the numbers screened are many, the duration may be prolonged. The surgical procedures will begin on Monday the 16th of December,” he said.
In February this year, Citimed Hospital, in partnership with Smile Train, a United States-headquartered non-profit organisation, conducted successful free cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries on 40 children.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when a baby’s lip or mouth do not form properly during pregnancy.
