NAN-H-6
CleftLip
By Mercy Osajiugo
Minna, March 2, 2017 (NAN) The Cleft and Facial Deformity Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has expressed concern over the lack of maxillofacial surgeon in Niger.
The Foundation Project Manager, Mr Solomon Ibrahim, expressed the concern when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Minna on Thursday.
According to Ibrahim, there is no single maxillofacial surgeon in Niger.
The project manager, therefore, called on the Niger Government to sponsor indigenes of the state to study Dentistry and major in maxillofacial surgery.
Ibrahim said the study of maxillofacial surgery would help the state to tackle and bring about a cure of cleft lip, cleft palate and facial deformity of children and adult living with the ailment.
“Recently, we carried out surgery on 51 facial deformed patients at the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna and we discovered that the state had no Maxillofacial Surgeon,” he said.
He explained that the persons with the ailment that came for the operation were 101 persons, including children and adult.
Ibrahim said that they were only able to operate on 51 patients as a result of insufficient fund and lack of maxillofacial surgeon .
“Despite this ,we went in to collaborate with Maizube Company who sponsored the free Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery to the tune of N5 million but it was not enough.
“To have stress-free operation , our projection is N7 million for 50 patients,” he said.
Ibrahim called on wealthy Nigerians to key into the humanitarian vision by supporting it financially to help the NGO in curbing and eliminating stigmatisation among the victims.
Cleft lip is a split in the upper lip that can happen on one or two sides of the lip, creating a wider opening into the nose.
Cleft palate is a split in the roof of the mouth. This leaves a hole between the nose and the mouth.
Sometimes a cleft lip and cleft palate occur together. Cleft lip and cleft palate are very common and occur in about 1 or 2 of every 2, 500 babies born in Nigeria annually. (NAN)
MNO/DO/MO
==========Edited by David Onilede/Morayo Omolade