50 Nigerians to access free facial deformity surgeries

A total of 50 people from different parts of the country with various degrees of facial deformities have been scheduled for free surgeries to enable them to live normal lives.

The surgery, organised by the Cleft and Facial Deformity Foundation in collaboration with the TY Danjuma Foundation in Keffi, Nasarawa State, is targeting the indigent without the needed resources to afford surgical treatment for the condition.

The Executive Director of the foundation, Dr Seidu Bello, said at a news conference in Keffi, Nasarawa State, that the surgical treatment would cover the four classes of facial deformities, namely locked jaw, facial tumour, cleft lip and palate, and noma.

While noting that the foundation had successfully carried out over 4,000 surgeries in the last 10 years of its existence, Bello
appealed to professionals, Non Governmental Organisations, individuals and groups with financial capacity to assist the poor, to assist government in putting smiles on the faces of Nigerians suffering from one form of deformity or the other.

He said “I was always irked by the fact that the poor were only being assisted by foreign surgeons. It wasn’t acceptable to me and within myself I felt bad and decided to put together a foundation where I can gather Nigerian professionals and start carrying out surgeries and we have been on it in the last 10 years.

“We expect to operate on 50 people.  Already, we have done 14 and it will continue for the next one week.”

Gima Forje, the acting Chief Executive Officer of TY Danjuma Foundation, expressed readiness and commitment to ensure that the
indigents accessed medical care to enable them to live normal lives like others in society.

He said “there are many people in the country with challenges of facial deformity and a whole lot of them cannot access medical care due to challenges related to funding.

“That is why we are partnering with the Cleft and Deformity Foundation to ensure that people who otherwise do not have access to healthcare, receive services for free.”

The Nasarawa Commissioner for Health, Dr Ahmed Yahaya, who announced the government’s plan for health outreaches in all 13 local government areas in the state, added that “whatever we need to give back to ensure we bring smiles to our people is a necessity.

“This government will give priority to improving the lives of the people.”