U.S Volunteer Surgeons to Offer Zimbabweans Free Facial Surgeries

WASHINGTON — 

Volunteer surgeons from the United States in collaboration with the University Of Zimbabwe College Of Health Sciences, Health ministry and Zimbabwe Rotary will join local surgeons to perform free surgeries for cleft lip and cleft palate and other facial repair operations at Harare Hospital early next month.

Jennifer Trubenbach of Operation of Hope told VOA Studio 7 the screening day will be on May 10 and all potential patients should attend the screening process at this hospital for the operations that will be performed during that same week.

"We have a team of the top volunteer surgeons and volunteer medical and non-medical staff who will assist in the surgeries next month. We expect to perform 75 to 85 surgeries over 8 days," said Trubenbach.

"The Harare Hospital has set aside two operating rooms for our programme which we have been conducting annually, this is our fifteenth mission" added Trubenbach.

Operation of Hope provides the gift of life-changing surgery to children with facial deformities in many countries, including Zimbabwe.

Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when a baby's lip or mouth do not form properly during pregnancy. These birth defects are commonly called orafacial clefts.